She Wolf
by LittleByrd10513
Summary: Aurelia has always had it rough; from death, to betrayal, to falling down a magical well and landing in the past. Will she finally find someone to place the pieces of her broken heart back together? Only time, and a certain ruggedly handsome wolf, will tell. Rated M for language, violence, and occasional lemony goodness!
1. Prologue

**Prologue, Aurelia**

_**(This is just backstory for my OC main character for those into such things, real story starts next chapter!)**_

Aurelia Marie Tukoni was born February 19, 1993 to Anduin Samuel Tukoni and Marilyn Rebekah Jones. Andy's family hailed from proud Alaska, and Marilyn's from Texas, though Marilyn herself had never before they met, lived anywhere but Austin. Her parents met at Andrew's graduation ceremony from the USMC MWTC sniper school, which he attended with Marilyn's older brother Jonathan. Sparks flew between the tall, tan, and handsome 23 year old with the toned figure and strange colored hair and the willowy, porcelain, Texan brunette. She had spirit, and he admired it. To Marilyn, he was mysterious and rugged, and not to mention the single most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on. They began dating shortly after meeting and remained together, never officially tying the knot despite Andy's frequent proposals.

They eventually moved in together and had Aurelia, who inherited her father's naturally sun kissed skin, icy mint green eyes, and platinum blonde-brown hair, only getting Marilyn's natural loosely curled tresses. Aurelia was flawless, save her father's hereditarily pointed ears, which Marilyn never quite fully understood. She was undeniably his, and the two were inseparable from the start, taking countless daddy-daughter hunting trips, camping expeditions, and even his participating in her dance classes when he was home. He would accept an extra tour overseas here and there while Aurelia was growing up to provide extra income for the family so he'd know his daughter was well taken care of, especially in her younger years. He always enjoyed his work, and it gave him new stories to tell when he'd finally come home.

Wanting to make sure his daughter could take care of herself, Andy taught her from the moment she was old enough to hold a weapon, to shoot firearms, bows and arrows, you name it. He had even taught her how to throw knives one summer when she was 11. She learned how to clean and cook wild game, just as he had to back when he lived in the Alaskan wilderness with his own mother and father in his youth, so at least he would know that his daughter, given the worst circumstances, could take care of herself someday, though hopefully would never have to. He signed her up for any and all self-defense class she would stand to, which was more than necessary, and even a ballet class here and there, so she'd remember how to be a girl despite all the physical training. Aurelia was always a busy kid, so busy in fact with all the classes she took, that she never really made many lasting friends. She would, however, be content with her solitude, preferring it even, to the company of others.

Moving from Austin to the middle of nowhere country town of Kirvin, Texas at 12 had its advantages. Seclusion, places to hunt and fish with her dad within proximity, and space to explore on her own to name a few, but also the ultimate disadvantage of the ignorant people that inhabited it. At first she was teased for her ears and reclusive behavior, but she learned quickly to block it out. Everything remained fine until January 29th, 2006. When she heard the phone ring she was ecstatic, thinking it was her father calling to tell her he would be coming home for her 15th birthday like he'd promised, but when her mother answered the phone and began sobbing uncontrollably, she knew something was very wrong.

While on convoy back to their base, her father and his comrades were killed by a buried IED trap set along the road. Daddy would be coming home for her birthday like he'd promised, but in a wooden box. Her mother took it the hardest, abusing her sleeping medication to get through the nights alone. Once she had even fallen asleep at the wheel, narrowly avoiding an oncoming 18 wheeler, driving through the roads outer railing and wrapping her car around a light pole. After the accident, Aurelia's paternal grandmother, Isabel, took her in, keeping her in Dallas with her throughout the remainder of high school. She would audition and enroll Aurelia into the dance cluster of renowned arts academy Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in the city's downtown district, knowing that if anything could keep her busy, they could.

Aurelia would keep her grades up, graduate Salutatorian of the class 2011, major in ballet, and even manage to get herself a boyfriend along the way; a handsome young art major by the name of Nicholas, who she would later run away with after he joined the Navy. Nick would eventually be transferred to California, then Japan, as a medical corpsman, and Aurelia would happily travel close behind, holding on for dear life to the dying relationship. After about a year of being together in Japan, Nicholas grew weary of Aurelia insistence upon "waiting until they were married", cheated on her, and then dumped her for the other woman.

Too ashamed to go home, Aurelia remained in Tokyo, working in a small costume shop downtown, using her limited costume design knowledge to make her living. So for a while, slowly but surely, she was healing.

When spring turned to summer, and 2012 seemed to be going smoothly at last, tragedy struck Aurelia's life again. Her ever supportive grandmother died of heart failure. Flying home for the funeral, she discovered that her mother had moved on from sleeping medication to heroin. Also to her disdain, her mother married, without her knowledge, to an equally strung out ex-cop by the name of Todd Scott. When they went in for the reading of her will, Todd was luckily left behind, because Isabel had left her hidden fortune of remaining lottery winnings and good investments to her only blood descendant, Aurelia, along with the simple request that she make a better life for herself with it, and the assurance that herself and Aurelia's ancestors would always be watching over her.

In her process of mourning and new found wealth, would spend a portion of the staggering 227 million dollars on various tattoos and piercings, laser hair removal, and a new vehicle. She would also give a considerable amount to her mother, with the stipulation that it be used to improve her life, and not be wasted on her drug habit. Marilyn, of course, would fake sobriety for a few weeks until Aurelia left, then use what she could to maintain hers and her husband's filthy habit further, hiding from her still overwhelming depression over the loss of her beloved Anduin. Aurelia, after returning to Japan, would update her wardrobe, and then save the remainder of her money for a rainy day, only using her work money to pay what bills she had.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One, Down the Rabbit Hole**

Aurelia's life, as you can see, had never been an easy one. Eventually well paid for, but never easy, especially considering the price that was paid for it. Her move to Tokyo had agreed more with her tastes, with the Otaku anime scene that flooded almost every street in the downtown district. Life was expensive, but luckily her days of art school hadn't gone to waste.

Never without something to do, she worked her way up apprenticing in the small parlor downtown, making what money she could to pay for her studio apartment four blocks away. After working her hardest for almost 3 years, the shop burned to the ground, leaving her without a job, and without money (by her sense of things). Desperate for a place to stay; she scanned the ads in the newspaper for work, only to find occupations that either could not pay her bills, or she lacked the qualifications for. After hunting through paper after paper, she finally settled on one opening in particular, at a small Shinto shrine just on the outskirts of the city. "Help Wanted" it said, "Live in grounds keeper. Must be able to cook, clean, and maintain property. Amenities included. If interested, call (***) (****)" and so she did. As read in the prologue, it was unnecessary, but Aurelia's father had always taught her to work for what she had, so she stuck to it, as he would have. She was determined not to waste any more of her money unless necessary.

She hadn't been the first to inquire for the position; apparently the grandfather, who maintained the place, in his old age, had chased several of the previous help away with his dementia fueled ranting about "demons". It didn't scare her. After everything she went through with her drug addled mother, a crazy old man was nothing. She only hoped that her appearance wouldn't negatively impact the chances of her getting the job. Working as a costume maker, none of her tattoos or piercings mattered, but many other places would hold no tolerance for it. Above all appearances, though, she was a hard worker and didn't complain. Hopefully they would see that underneath the surface.

Surprisingly, when she went into her interview, Mrs. Rei Higurashi never took lengthy notice of the elfin ears, the piercings, or the tattoos. She looked like a woman who had seen her fair share of strange things, and her only question about her looks was to ask if it hurt when she had her ears pierced. After an hour long interview, she shook Aurelia's hand, and congratulated her on her new job, to which she was more than grateful.

"My daughter moved out ten years ago, so her room upstairs will be your new living space," she said with a heavy smile as she gave a tour of the main house, "The bathroom is right next door to it, and if you have any other questions just come to me. Also, my father has borderline Alzheimer's so if he starts spouting about demons or starts throwing paper sutras at you, please try to ignore it. He means well." With that, Aurelia left to her old apartment to pack her things.

The first few weeks things had gone well, she had eventually calmed Mr. Higurashi down to where he would stop chanting behind her everywhere she went. She even assisted in the grocery shopping, despite the looks she was given, and helped around the house as was her job. She finally got to meet Souta, Mrs. Higurashi's son, who had been away at college, and was even asked to make his costume for his upcoming college Halloween party.

Mrs. Higurashi enjoyed Aurelia's company. Since her daughter Kagome left and Souta had gone to college, she felt it was nice to have another person around besides her aging father.

In all honesty Aurelia reminded her much of her baby girl, in kindness and in strange tastes. After all, she'd left in 2004 to be with her odd but amiable boyfriend, the half demon, InuYasha. After the well had sealed itself, she didn't know if she would ever see Kagome again. By now she probably had a family of her own, grandchildren that she would never get to know, and no matter how much time had passed, the thought of it still brought tears to her eyes. Aurelia made it easier.

Anyways, summer turned to fall, and after tirelessly working on Souta's Joker suit, and her own World of Warcraft Sylvanas Windrunner costume, Halloween was at hand. Finally, all her countless late night hours working with that accursed Worbla material had been put to its use; showing off. Souta had invited every college friend he had to their home, hell bent on having a good time and flashing his new custom fit costume at everyone and anyone he could. Aurelia, however, was having a ball in her revealing but wonderfully crafted armor set. She and Souta were little over a year apart in age, but his birthday was still a few months off, so she made it her job to buy the party's alcohol supply.

After a few hours of "Battleshots" with the college kids, she found herself sufficiently trashed out of her mind, and feeling adventurous. Stumbling outside into the chilly autumn breeze, she wandered over to the seemingly forgotten well house.

When she was hired, on her first day of maintaining the grounds, Mr. Higurashi told her to stay out; and that no one was allowed in there. _"Not since the demons took my little girl!"_ He would rant as he followed her around the grounds. However, seeing as how she was drunk enough to almost forget her own name, it was a well ignored warning. So, against what inhibitions she may have still had, she slid open the door, and walked inside.

It was a dirty room, filled with cobwebs and debris, smelling of dampness and age. She stumbled around, feeling the jars of "holy" pickled animal relics and stacks of worn paper sutras, only to stop when she reached the well itself. It was dirty, and uncovered, only adorned with paper banners and the occasional worn sutra. Before she could turn to walk out, her curiosity sated, she spied something shiny at the bottom of the well. Overly inebriated and clumsy, she leaned closer, standing on her tip toes to reach farther and trying to get a closer look, and fell in.

She could only scream. Clutching her bottle of Patrón Silver for dear life, eyes wide open and watering as she fell, she saw a soft light surround her body. "What the hell?" she wondered aloud as she slowly drifted amongst the light and landed lightly on her ass.

"Hello?!" she shouted, hoping someone at the party would hear. "Can anybody hear me? Souta? …TIMMY FELL DOWN THE WELL!" She shouted louder in slurred Japanese, rubbing her sore bottom. She could no longer hear the music from the house.

"How drunk am I?" she wondered quietly to herself, as she began her climb towards the opening of the well. Her faux armor was getting clammy as she exerted the last of her drunken strength pulling herself out.

"What in the hell?" she wondered loudly. Where had the well house gone? Where had the actual house gone? And WHERE THE FUCK DID ALL THESE TREES COME FROM?

She wandered for a while, her adorned compression hunting bow and quiver packed with arrows hanging loosely on her back. She had driven the arrowheads deep into a block of foam anchored inside the bottom of the quiver to make them safe, knowing full well once she and her buddy Patrón were friendly enough he would convince her to take them out and show them off. Since she now had no idea what was going on or where she was, she figured it might be a good time to loosen a few of them.

After travelling on the barely beaten path for what seemed like forever, she spotted a light shining the distance. Not knowing what it may lead to, but not really caring either, she darted, still very much intoxicated, towards the light. "Hello?" She shouted ahead in her second language. "Can someone help me? I'm kind of lost!" Running against the crisp autumn air, bottle hooked to her side, she took off sprinting as fast as she could, only to trip over what felt to her like the only rock in the open field and face plant into the dirt; skidding to a painful halt. "Damn" she cursed under her breath as she pulled herself up, brushing off the dirt from her armor and extremities, and continued jogging towards her destination.

Her shouting had stirred some of the occupants from their homes, and as they saw the strange girl running their way, the people began to panic. "Demon!" they shouted, "Protect the women and children!" Aurelia slowed to a halt. "Demon...wait, Demon?" she wondered, looking behind her, yet nothing was there. 'What the hell are they talking about?' she thought. As they started to gather spears and bows and arrows, she froze. 'Oh god…they mean ME!'

She yelled again, hoping they would hear her plea and not try to kill her. "Please I just need to know where I am! I'm just lost!" Then they ran towards her.

"What the fuck is all this yammering about?!" she heard from one of the huts. Out stepped a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties with long, platinum silver hair. "…The hell?" Aurelia wondered under her breath, as the people retreated behind him. The next thing she knew, his face was inches from hers, though they had been half a field apart only moments before.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, his eyebrows twitching, hand firmly gripping the hilt of the sword at his side. Her head was spinning. "M-my name is Aurelia. I have no idea what's going on here, I just want to go home." He smelled her for a moment. "Why do you smell like-? No, that doesn't make sense…" He looked her up and down, roughly and awkwardly lifting her arms to inspect her clothes. "What are you?" he asked; a serious look in his eyes. "A-a girl?" she slurred sheepishly.

"InuYasha what's going on over there?" a young woman asked out towards them. "You…I know your face." Aurelia muttered, looking hard at the approaching woman. "Oh my god, you're Kagome!" She shrieked, pointing at the approaching woman. Her face was a little older, but she was definitely the girl from the family photos she had seen over her time at the shrine. "How do you know Kagome?!" the man, InuYasha barked, grabbing Aurelia by the collar of her cloak. "I know her mom!" InuYasha froze, and then looked back at his wife "H-How do you know my mother?" Kagome stammered, dumbfounded.

"Where am I?" Aurelia asked, frantically trying to escape InuYasha's hold "WHEN am I?" She corrected, looking at the approaching villagers, still armed with their farming tools. "So many topknots-" she thought aloud. "No way in hell I'm in 2014, Halloween or not." She looked as if she was losing her mind, squirming in InuYasha's grasp, eyes shifting quickly to everyone and everything around her. "What the hell is going on, I just wanted to see what the big deal about that stupid well house was!?" She squealed, desperate to gain freedom from InuYasha's grasp. He dropped her with a rough _thud_. "Ouch!" Aurelia yelped as her ass roughly hit the ground. InuYasha paid her no mind.

"You can go back inside, it's just a girl." He casually snorted to the people behind him. "A-are you sure? Just look at her-her clothes and markings, and ears!" a villager exclaimed, skeptical. "She doesn't have any demonic aura as far as I can tell, and she smells human enough. You'll be fine. Now go back into your homes, I'll keep an eye on the runt." "Hey!" Aurelia shouted defiantly, pouting. "Who are you calling runt?!" InuYasha smirked, "You of course, kid." Aurelia's face turned a ghastly shade of red in fury, rivaling InuYasha's hakama's. Sure, she was only 22, but she had about had it with being mocked her whole life, that, and she was still drunk enough to forget to think her actions through. Sober, she would have known she was completely overreacting.

InuYasha's face was cocked backwards from the force of the blow. She reared her fist back an unleashed as much fury as she could in one swing, breaking the hanyou's nose. "The FUCK?!" he exclaimed, rubbing his newly broken/bleeding nose. "That'll teach you to talk shit to people you don't know!" She shouted, storming clumsily past Kagome towards the village. She sat herself next to the watch fire, trying to inconspicuously nurse the quite possibly broken knuckles of her right hand, silently pouting to herself. Why had she done that? She didn't even know the guy, yet she broke his nose…and possibly her hand. At the moment it felt right, necessary almost. Though…now it just hurt, but she wasn't going to give that asshat InuYasha the satisfaction.

"Hey, Aurelia…" Kagome said warmly, sitting beside her, "I've been where you are. I didn't understand it either when I first fell down…or was rather pulled down the well the first time 14 years ago… It's a process really. I'm still getting used to it even now." Aurelia buried her face in her arms sullenly, pulling her knees to her chest with a long sigh. "Is there any way I can get back? I really don't know what the heck is going on and I just want to get back home." Kagome sighed, looking back towards the bone eaters well. "I'm not sure, but you should probably finish sobering up before you try." Aurelia stifled a laugh "Yeah, you're probably right. Knowing me I'll probably break my leg or something trying to do it now." Kagome laughed, "Its ok, I know I would; total klutz myself honestly. I'm not sure how I never managed to break anything when I was jumping back and forth."

Aurelia cocked her head sideways, confused. "You mean it's totally a normal thing for you? I mean, falling down a well and landing in the past?" Kagome smiled, "Not at first, but when it happened to me I had a purpose. You see…" Then she began her long-winded story about her birthday, the sacred jewel, InuYasha and the gang, Sesshoumaru, the wolf tribe, Kikyo, Naraku, and the wish she made on the jewel. She then rambled on about the three year gap after she was forced back to her own time, and how one day, for only that day until now, the well had sealed itself off. Aurelia slowly attempted to process the information, still relatively tipsy.

"It's a lot to take in I know, but imagine how I felt. I was **_15 _**dealing with this stuff. In the end though everything was worth it; I married InuYasha, and we now have 2 beautiful kids that I wouldn't trade for the world. Fate works in mysterious ways, Aurelia. Maybe you have some kind of destiny tied here as well." "Maybe I do." She silently wondered.

Aurelia stared into the fire and sighed. "You know, I never even asked anything about you" Kagome said buoyantly, to which Aurelia responded with another sigh, "Well, I should start from the beginning I guess…" As she told her story, they cried for the equal loss of their fathers, compared high school experiences, cried some more, fumed about difficult relationships, and both went on about how it all ended up okay.

InuYasha only sat in the doorway of the hut halfway listening while still nursing his broken nose. "Can you grab the extra mat from the basket?" Kagome requested. "She's going to need a place to sleep tonight." InuYasha _feh'd_, but did as she asked, knowing there was no arguing with Kagome when she'd made up her mind. Nursing his wounded pride, he decided to sleep in his favorite tree overlooking the rice field rather than face the girl that managed to injure him. Tomorrow would be a long and interesting day, especially if the well was working again.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two, Bones**

"SON OF A BITCH I THINK I BROKE MY ANKLE!" Aurelia shouted from the bottom of the stone well, just after a blood curdling crunch was heard. "God dammit, my fucking ankle!" she cried, cursing again. Kagome didn't mind the language; it was mild compared to the first time she gave birth. "Alright ya cry baby I'm coming down." InuYasha snorted apathetically. He didn't care for her OR her possibly shattered ankle, but then again she had just broken his nose the night prior. "The well sure is acting strange lately…" Kagome mused aloud as her husband jumped down the well after Aurelia. "It can't seem to make its mind up in whether or not it wants to stay active…"

Aurelia let out another hostile growl of pain as InuYasha jumped out of the well, rather roughly, with her and her newly mangled ankle in tow. "I thought you said you used to jump in and out of this thing with no trouble!" she grumbled at Kagome. "Well usually when I was doing that it would work and let me through. It doesn't seem to be working now. Very strange…" She mused absentmindedly, leaning over the ledge to peer into the malfunctioning well. InuYasha just shrugged as he carried the cursing girl back to the village, ignoring the onslaught of obscenities she would spout occasionally along the way.

Upon their arrival to the village, Kagome was almost knocked over by two of the most adorable kids Aurelia had ever seen. "Did you have fun over at Sango's house?" Kagome asked, nuzzling the younger of the two, a girl of about 5 with long black hair, big brown eyes and the cutest black fuzzy dog ears that could easily rival her father's. "Yes momma, we did! We played tag and it was so much fun!" the little girl exclaimed. "Good! What about you Daisuke?" Kagome asked the slightly older boy with the silver hair, amber eyes and pointed ears "Did you have as much fun as Ahri?" He gave a halfhearted smile "Yes momma. While we were playing tag though, me and Haru weren't paying attention and ran into each other…" He raised his bangs and showed his mother the newly formed bruise on his temple "Klutz." InuYasha scoffed quietly at his son. "InuYasha!" Kagome exclaimed angrily, causing her husband to nervously stiffen, making him squeeze Aurelia too tight, which in turn caused her to elbow him roughly to hopefully loosen his grip on her. He instead dropped her. She shrieked through clenched teeth, brought her still mangled fist down on his foot, and howled in pain while holding her ankle.

He didn't notice. He was trying to avoid the furious gaze of his wife, when suddenly the tension was broken by a shout from across the clearing. "-Kagome!" a familiar voice rang in greeting. "Hey Sango!" Kagome greeted in return, equally cheery. InuYasha sighed in relief as he picked Aurelia off the ground, and continued on quietly to the hut whilst his wife's attention was on something other than him.

"So, who's that?" the woman Sango questioned as InuYasha walked out of sight. "That's Aurelia, another girl from my time. She fell down the well last night and ended up here. We just got back from an unsuccessful attempt at sending her back."

Kagome put a hand on her hip and sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose and shrugging. "The well just won't make up its mind." Sango looked at Aurelia and shuddered. "Her ankle looks pretty messed up. How long you think until the well decides it wants to work again? Maybe if you catch it in time, you could visit your mother. I know it's been awhile since you've seen her. Maybe we'll get lucky and it'll stay open this time like it used to." Kagome pondered for a moment. _'It would be nice. It's been almost ten years on the mark since the Bone Eaters Well sealed itself. I'm sure mom would love to meet her grandkids, I know she always wanted to be a grandmother…'_ she thought glumly. "Yeah…" she said, "Maybe we'll get that lucky…"

Back in the hut, InuYasha sat Aurelia down on her futon mat from the previous night as carefully as he could manage, not wanting to further invoke the fury known as Kagome. No matter the dangers they had faced in the past together, be it Naraku, Menomaru, Kaguya, or the Four War Gods of Horai Island, he had never been so scared of them as he was his petite, human wife. "What's this-" a smooth male voice resounded from the doorway. "A lovely new friend I see?" "I'd back up if I were you, Miroku. Sango might wring your neck," InuYasha warned, rubbing his still healing nose. "That is, if this one doesn't beat you senseless first." He sneered, glancing from the monk to Aurelia, who was curled up on the floor, rubbing her throbbing ankle.

The sickening crunch of the displaced bones was more than audible to both men sitting in the hut. Miroku cringed at the sound, and InuYasha's ears twitched and folded back in disgust at the noise. Aurelia only bit her lip to stifle the cries of pain that were rioting behind her lips for release. She had to re-set the bones, and quick. Tears begun to well in her eyes, and Miroku could see just how much pain she was in. He walked across the spacious abode to where Kagome usually kept her bandages and such; having to memorize their location all too well since the time his own children learned to walk. He grabbed what he needed, and began carefully inspecting Aurelia's swollen ankle, rubbing a salve on it to calm the swelling. Aurelia cringed in agony as he deeply massaged the cooling balm into her skin, further irritating her already distorted appendage. After the torturous massage, Miroku proceeded to wrap the delicate joint in a clean set of unused bandages, taking care not to wrap her ankle too tight and cut off the circulation.

After the initial pain of re-setting the bones of her own ankle, and the deep tissue massage from hell, Aurelia could feel the cooling ointment doing its job. "It's already starting to feel better. Thank you Mr. Miroku." He laughed in response, "Please, just Miroku will do, no need for titles here. Besides, any girl with the strength to catch InuYasha off guard and manage to break his nose like you have has no need for titles in my eyes." InuYasha was glaring daggers at the monk.

"Oh come now InuYasha, you think I wouldn't notice that red spot in the middle of your nose, or your still slightly blackened eyes, or even that her knuckles are swollen. She must have done a number on you for it to still be healing now." He joked.

InuYasha let out a low, threatening growl. Miroku only laughed and shook his head, "As if I'd still be afraid of that after all these years. You should learn to stay on your toes, especially when it comes to women." He never noticed the two very irritated looking figures behind him in the doorway. "What about women now?" Sango hissed, positively dripping with venom. Miroku shot up in a hurry, "Oh nothing dearest, just that women are very unpredictable, and you never know what wonderful things they'll do when one isn't paying attention!" he defended, putting his hands up in submission to the mother of his children. "Yeah right" Kagome said sarcastically, before leaning down to inspect Miroku's handiwork.

"Well you didn't do half bad; I guess you've had plenty of practice with the twins though. How's your ankle feel Aurelia?" she asked sensitively, making sure not to jar the afflicted appendage. "It's feeling better now actually. I mean I would have rather ripped my own eyes out than had to reset those bones, but once Miroku put that cold stuff and the bandage on it wasn't so bad." Kagome's eyes widened in surprise, "Wait, _you_ re-set the bones **YOURSELF**?"

Aurelia jumped a bit in fright, "Yeah, I did this once when I was a kid and my dad taught me how to fix it on my own. He always told me _'you never know what's going to happen when you're out there by yourself, so if you can't get help fast, you need to know you can take care of it on your own.'_" Kagome nodded in understanding. This girl, she realized, was a lot more complicated than they thought. "Well anyways, it looks like you're going to be stuck here awhile, so let's get you into something a little less revealing, and into something more comfortable."

Kagome carefully helped her up and walked her into another room, setting her down on her own futon while she rummaged through her clothes. "This should suit you for now. Try it on." She said, tossing the folded garment to Aurelia. It was a white knee length kimono with pale blue flowers sewn randomly along the hem and neckline. It had no sleeves, and the obi was a dark royal blue with white scrollwork. "That's one of my oldest ones. I couldn't fit in it after I had Daisuke, but I figured I'd keep it just in case. Your chest and ass are a bit bigger than mine were then, but this is the closest I think me or Sango might have to your size. Kids _will_ do that." Aurelia carefully took off her armor and pants, down to nothing but a white and black lacy bra and thong. "Man, it's been awhile since I've seen lingerie like that. You don't find that kind of stuff in this time. Here, let me help you out with that."

Aurelia slowly lifted her arms into the holes for the sleeves, and tried her best to cover her ample chest, to no avail. No matter how they worked the fabric, cleavage was always at least halfway visible. But they covered what they could, and got it closed. Kagome tied the dark blue obi around Aurelia's slender waist, and they proceeded back to the main room of the home to sit with the others while dinner was roasting. InuYasha, trying to get back in his wife's good graces had gone out and caught a couple of rabbits and such, and Sango was preparing a stew. They ate, talked, and shared stories, bonding the next night, as well as the following nights, as she became like one of their own.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three, New Places, New Faces**

Over the following weeks, Aurelia had become a major part of the village, helping hunt and fish once her ankle had healed enough, even helping the ever aging Kaede gather herbs and spices when asked. The well still wouldn't open, but it was okay. She was adjusting better than she thought she would. She had always been more comfortable in the wilderness; it reminded her of how things used to be when her dad was still alive. She loved the brisk feel of the wind whipping against her skin, the way water from streams and rivers felt against her toes, even in the biting cold. Though winter was beginning to show its face, she had even opted for bare feet when the sun was shining. She always felt better without shoes anyhow. Her mother would always harass her about the risk of frostbite, but it never seemed to happen. She could play barefoot in the snow for hours and it wouldn't phase her in the least.

The first frost of the season was just beginning to fall, so Kaede requested that any remaining herbs be brought back to the village before the snow could blanket the fields, killing the last, lingering plants for the season. Aurelia, with her almost healed ankle, happily obliged, even taking the children along with her. Anko, Aia, and Haru, Miroku and Sango's children; spent most of the time chasing each other through the fields. Daisuke and Ahri on the other hand, stayed close to help Aurelia. They wanted to learn how to gather herbs like their mother, so Aurelia tried to teach them what she could. As she was bent over explaining the difference between an actual herb they needed, and common weeds, the wind suddenly picked up, and a cyclone stopped just short of knocking Aurelia over.

When the funnel dissipated, a tall, muscular, and tan young man was left standing before her, clasping her hands. "Hello there Kagome-" and before she knew what she was doing, her fist had already slid from his grasp and connected with his throat. She ran as fast as her still slightly sore ankle would carry her with Daisuke and Ahri following close behind, mimicking her screams. Sango and Miroku's brood however, ran not from, but towards the stranger. "Kouga!" they all exclaimed happily at once, as Aurelia and the other two children disappeared from view. "Are you alright?" Haru asked, giggling. "She got you pretty good huh?" Aia laughed, helping him up off the ground. "Consider yourself lucky. She broke uncle Inu's nose." Anko, the eldest of the three said haughtily. "Who was that? And why was she wearing Kagome's clothes?" He choked between breaths. So they began their giggly patchwork explanation.

Aurelia and the other two kids ran as fast as they could across the fields back to the village. When Kagome heard them screaming from the edge of town, she dropped everything and ran to her children. "What's going on? What happened? Where are Haru and the twins?" Kagome asked frantically. "We were picking herbs in the fields when this thing came out of nowhere and this guy came out of it and he grabbed my hand so I punched him in the throat and ran! He called me Kagome- I think he's after you! Oh god they were right behind me!"

Kagome let it process for a moment, before she burst out laughing. "Wait, you- you punched Kouga- in the throat?! BAHAHAHAHAHA!"

InuYasha came crashing through the trees and ran towards his wife and children. "What the hell is going on? I could hear the screaming all the way from the well!" Kagome had to cover her mouth to calm herself before she could explain. When she was done, even InuYasha couldn't help but laugh. "Serves that scrawny wolf right for sneaking up like that; especially since he thought you were Kagome." He shook his head, chuckling. "He probably caught her scent on the kids and thought you must have been her because of that kimono. Jackass." He scoffed.

Once again, Aurelia's first reaction was to punch first, before thinking. This was going to be a fun apology to make later. Kagome piped up to break the silence. "He hasn't been around since just after Daisuke was born, so I'm not surprised these two ran with you. The other kids will be fine; they're old enough to remember him from the last time he visited, so don't worry, they're safe."

Aurelia shamefully hung her head and sighed, walking back towards the hut to re-wrap her ankle and foot. The swelling had just about subsided thanks to her barefoot hobbling on the cool ground, and the pain was as minimal as the herbal paste they coated it with could make it, but until she could get back to her own time, Aurelia would continue to re-wrap it every few days or so. She supposed she'd apologize to the stranger known as Kouga when she saw him again. For the moment, all her mind was on was her ankle, and what she was going to do about entertaining the kids tonight.

She had been telling them the same stories her father once read her when she was a kid, to the best of hers and Kagome's memory, and tonight she had promised to tell them their favorite, "Little Red Riding Hood", for the god knows how many time. She had even managed to make a few rag dollish hand puppets from cloth scraps, straw, and carved wooden buttons. Luckily, Aurelia's grandmother thought, at one point, it would be a good idea to teach her only granddaughter how to sew by hand. Sure, her stitches looked like something resembling Dr. Frankenstein's handiwork, but they held. She had always preferred a sewing machine to do the work for her.

Meanwhile, back in the field, Kouga was slowly recovering his ability to breathe properly, and what was left of his pride. Haru and his elder twin sisters continued their explanations about Aurelia as they slowly made their way back towards the village. Kouga was only half-listening, his mind trying to wrap itself around the strange foreign beauty that was Aurelia. He could tell by the smell of her she was demon, but to what extent or what kind he couldn't peg. She smelled _almost_ completely human, yet the intoxicating mix of feral earth and sweet mint danced under his nose from where her fist connected at his throat. The scent was strange, but nonetheless arousing. This girl, Aurelia, bore the strangest markings he had ever laid eyes on, as if someone had taken the finest of brushes and carefully painted her very skin. Not to mention she had one of the most remarkable looking bodies he had ever seen in his life. If he thought Kagome was perfect, this woman was beyond flawless. Not to mention no woman had ever raised a hand to him like that, not even his once beloved Kagome.

They eventually reached the village, Kouga still half daydreaming about whether or not this beautiful creature known as 'Aurelia' might be unmated, and what she may look like naked.

Upon their arrival, the wolf prince was greeted by none other than his rather smug faced former rival, InuYasha, and the monk Miroku; the demon slayers mate, and father of his adolescent escorts. "What're you laughin' at mutt; I heard she broke your nose." Instantly the hanyou's face melted from haughty to contempt. Miroku laughed, clapped Kouga on the back, and cheerily welcomed their former companion back to the village. "You disappeared for a while there; I was almost starting to worry about you." He said as they walked. InuYasha only _feh_'d. "I was starting to get my hopes up that somethin' finally got your scrawny ass for good. What's it been now, six years- six and a half, maybe? Where've ya been hidin?"

Kouga rubbed his still sore throat and grumbled at the arrogant half-breed, as he contemptuously replied "I've been around. I have my own shit to take care of mutt, a pack to run; same old, same old. Anyhow what's the deal with the girl? She sure packs quite the punch." Miroku laughed as InuYasha looked away, shame engraved in every feature of his quickly reddening face. "Trust me Kouga; he's well aware of that. She's from Kagome's time. She fell down the Bone Eaters Well a couple of weeks ago and landed here. We're waiting for the well to start working again so she can get back home; but we aren't really sure what's happening yet ourselves to be quite honest." Was that the point of that old god forsaken well, Kouga thought- to bring beautiful women from their time to his?

He sat dazed for a moment, caught up in the thought of the well spewing a fountain of beautiful women straight to his den. "Careful Kouga, she's deadly. That punch in the throat won't be the only injury you get if you don't watch yourself." Kouga's grin only widened, he loved a woman with spirit. According to the men in his pack, they made the best mates in the bedroom aspect, not that he knew anything about that firsthand. Wolves mated for life, only ever moving on at all if their beloved passed on. He had yet to settle down, still not quite finding the right girl. "I sure hope so" he said, his twisted smirk only reminding Miroku of his single days and his daydreams of old. "Then it's your funeral my friend. Stick around; I suppose we can get you two properly introduced while you're here."

Kouga smiled and thanked him, the conversation being broken up by children running between them, their breathless laughter only matched by their shouts of "Hurry up the show's about to start!" and "Last one there's a rotten egg!" Kouga looked at Miroku, his head cocked sideways in silent questioning, to which the monk replied, "Aurelia has her puppets out, and the kids love it. Come watch, you'll get to see her at some of her best. She's giving us parents a much needed break." Curious, he followed, staying just out of sight, but still close enough to peek. She was, he noticed, even more beautiful when she wasn't running away.

He could see the features of her face much better now, from the way her cocoa streaked snowy white hair naturally fell in large, soft ringlets against her sun kissed skin, to the way her icy green eyes sparkled and lit up when her soft pink lips parted to reveal her kind, pearly white smile. He thought it even cuter the way her lightly freckled cheeks and nose wrinkled when she laughed as she spoke to the mob of children at her feet.

"Alright calm down you guys" she spoke almost flawlessly. He could tell this wasn't her native language. It was close though, almost perfect, but with a slight, almost unnoticeable drawl. "I'm not starting until you settle down and stop fighting over where you're sitting. We all know this is far from the first time I've told this story." The children responded accordingly by quieting down and settling into a semicircular crowd around her. She then proceeded to tell a story about a young girl in a red cape taking food to her grandmother, both of them getting eaten by a sweet-talking wolf in a dress, then the hungry wolf who was just doing what he had to, getting cut open by a man in a strange hat with an axe and a bushy beard, and everyone living happily ever after except for the now dead wolf. Made no sense to him, but the kids loved it.

After the "show", Aurelia slowly made her way to her own hut, with children hanging on every limb. Anko and Aia were tightly wrapped around her legs, Ahri was seated on her shoulders using Aurelia's hair as reigns, and Haru and Daisuke were dangling from her arms, swinging in the air, and all laughing. Aurelia appeared to be enjoying herself despite the number of children, the twins alone being almost as tall as her, hanging on her like giggling hairless monkeys. She was strong, he could tell, and much more patient than anyone else he knew.

Watching the child covered beauty shuffle awkwardly out of sight, his thoughts were interrupted by Kagome excitedly shrieking his name. "Kouga I didn't know you were here visiting, how are you? It's been so long since I've seen you I almost didn't recognize you!" she said, smiling and hugging the handsome wolf prince. "Oh my, you got taller, and a lot more muscular. And where did this facial hair come from?" she asked, inquisitively poking his new to her muscles and scruffy vertical strip of beard he had allowed to grow on his chin. Kagome hadn't changed at all, aside from having yet another pup with her half-breed mate InuYasha. His sole purpose of visiting was to prove to himself that he could finally accept her decision. Now with the new addition of Aurelia to the mix, he could see himself being okay with the mutt winning after all.

While Kagome was busy grilling Kouga about what he had been up to, Aurelia was busy listening from inside the hut. Luckily the children were good and tired, enabling her to sneak out from under the child-pile she was buried in. Slowly easing out from behind the shadows of her doorway, Aurelia walked towards the group seated around the fire, only Kouga's sudden silence and lack of attention giving away her approach. He awkwardly shot upwards, trying to be polite. Aurelia smiled and hung her head humbly. "There's no need for pleasantries, if I recall; I owe you an apology for punching you in the throat mister-" "Kouga!" he clumsily blurted.

"M-my name is K-Kouga…" He hung his head and shamefully looked at his feet, a faint redness building in his cheeks. "Aurelia. Aurelia Tukoni. Pleased to meet you Kouga" She said courteously, holding her hand out to shake his. He instead took the offered hand in his and uncomfortably exclaimed "Oh the pleasure is all mine- it isn't every day a man such as me comes face to face with a goddess of beauty such as you!" Aurelia's eyes were wide in almost panic, as she quickly slipped her hand from between his; an uncomfortable "Thank you?" all she could say before awkwardly sitting down.

Kagome, being the attempted match maker she was, decided THIS of all times would be good to leave the two of them alone, as she and Sango quickly dragged their husbands away from the ensuing disaster that was Kouga's failed seduction. Once the others were out of sight, Kouga quickly composed himself, and tried to apologize for his terrible behavior. "I'm so sorry," he laughed as he sat down next to her, rubbing the back of his head. "I never get like this, I swear. Please, if you'll allow me to start over?" He asked. She nodded, conceding to his request. "Please do."

He cleared his throat. "Hello Lady Tukoni," he said rather ceremoniously, shaking her hand, "My name is Kouga, leader of the Eastern wolf demon tribe. I should be apologizing for startling _you_ my lady, getting hit was my own fault." Aurelia blankly stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter, "There's no need for those kinds of formalities here Kouga, though I do appreciate the thought. And please, just call me Aurelia, I'm no _Lady_." She said heartily, leaning playfully to bump into him. He smiled; glad to at least have partially improved his chances with her.

They spoke for quite some time, the hours passing as if moments. Looking up, the moon hung directly above them, signaling midnight. Both, thoroughly tired, stood up, and gave a warm hug goodnight, Kouga vowing to return in the morning to see her again. As he disappeared into the night, she sighed heavily, knowing full well Kagome and Sango were waiting up to probe her for information the moment she got back inside. The men had decided to stay in Sango and Miroku's hut for the night, and leave the slightly larger one with the extra room attached for the women and children. It was a win-win for everyone. The men didn't have to listen to the girls gossiping, and the women had space for them, and their brood of children.

"Sooooo, how'd it go?" Kagome questioned eagerly as Aurelia entered the hut. "Spill it. Do you like him?" Sango inquired immediately after. "Ok slow down; one at a time ladies. First, Kagome, it went well. It was a bit uncomfortable at first, but we have a lot in common. Second, Sango, he's a bit of an acquired taste, but I think so. He's more of a gentleman than I'm used to so he's got that going for him. He's VERY good looking, which is also a plus, and he's actually interested in me, so I do think I could give him a shot." Sango and Kagome nearly exploded in so much excitement that you would have thought they had money riding o

"But" she continued "what if the well starts working? What do I do then? My only family is on the other side. From what you've told me Kagome, Kouga will never be able to go through. I'll have to choose sides, especially if it doesn't stay open. I don't want to get either of our hopes up if that's the case. I'm my father's only child. His family line dies with me. It won't do them any good for me to have babies here; I can't continue the line from the past. Or better yet, what if I'm on one side and my kids are on the other and it decides to close off again? What then?" She ranted, flustered, "Either way, I'm not sure what I'd do. I mean, let's say I get stuck here and something happens to my mom? The only family she has is my uncle Jon and my cousin Evelyn. I know my deadbeat stepdad is bound to do something to her, especially if he finds anything out about my grandma that I told you, and I don't want to miss saying goodbye because I decided playing footsie with a guy 500 years in the past was more important. It's a lot to consider."

Their jaws were on the floor. "I never really thought about it like that. Did you Kagome?" Sango asked. Kagome's thoughts went to her own mother. "No, but then again my mom always understood. I'm certain she misses me, but she's the one that told me to come back when I could." Aurelia slumped against a wall, uncertainty written plain as day across her face.

"Kagome…I want to give him a chance, I really do, but I just don't know how to deal with that damn well. If it would make up its mind I would give you an answer in a heartbeat. Yes. If it stays shut and I'm stuck here, then sure, I would go for it. If the damn thing would just stay open, like you say it used to, I'd do it, but I just don't know yet. It's just too much to put in perspective at once." Both women nodded in understanding, albeit slightly disappointed, before deciding it was time for bed.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four, Blossom**

As dawn finally began to peer above the sacred forest, and the early morning mist settled into frosted dewdrops on the last lingering blades of grass, Aurelia awoke and began her morning routine. Since she had been stuck in the feudal era, she no longer had access to her usual morning rounds at the local gym, so she improvised and practiced the stretches she could remember. Despite the morning chill, and the incoming winter cold fronts, she was clad in nothing more than two layers of her usual short kimono tops, and a pair of black knit capris pants Sango had given her. The sacred forest helped stave off the majority of the incoming cold with its dense trees and remaining hearty foliage, and gave her the privacy she loved to conduct her physical exercise regime. Half an hour of yoga to stretch, forty five minutes of kickboxing against a thicker tree for lower body strength and coordination, and finally an hour of what she called "stripperobics"; which consisted of using a thinner, but strong enough sapling to swing around and maneuver with, to build core muscles and upper body strength. What Aurelia didn't notice, however, was that she had a particularly interested audience, consisting of a lone wolf demon, whose jaw was on the floor.

He had been downwind from her for a while, so even if her sense of smell was keener than he assumed, she'd never know he was there. She was impressive; he had to admit. Even though her hands and feet were wrapped, and she had nailed a bamboo mat to the larger tree, she was hitting hard enough to crack the rough layers of bark underneath. He wasn't expecting, however, for her to start spinning and gyrating against the smoother bark of the sapling. He felt an uncomfortable twitching in his furs, and decided it might not be the best idea to be standing around watching her at full attention, so he went for a run in the crisp winter air instead, only to return with her gone. He followed the scent of sweet mint and earth to the edge of the nearby hot spring, only to find her clothes folded on a boulder, with no sign of their guardian.

Suddenly, Aurelia shot up from the steaming water; eyes closed tight and gasping for breath, causing Kouga to panic and dart behind a tall boulder to his right. 'Is it wrong to spy on her like this?' He wondered silently to himself. Of course it was, but would it stop him- probably not. If she were to turn around and open her eyes, he was dead either way, so he might as well make it worth it. He peeked from around the stone, thankful that she was facing the opposite way.

He had stumbled upon women bathing more than a time or two; the way he travelled he was bound to. But he had never seen anyone washing themselves quite so sensually. Aurelia was fully aware of his presence. She had heard him scampering behind the boulder when she came up for air. She did not, however, hear him leave, so she figured she would see just how far she could push this new suitor of hers. Starting tame, she dipped her head once more into the water, exposing her shoulders and back, and quick as a bullet, she rose from the water, flipping her hair back in the sunlit air, and cleared the remaining loose, dripping strands from her neck and chest one shining cord of hair at a time.

No rustling, he was still there. So she turned it up a notch and began swimming for the other side of the spring, her bare back and hips exposed. Once she reached the stones ahead of her, she stopped, and turned to rest against their warm, moist surfaces. She made sure to only expose what she thought necessary, stopping the water around mid-chest, just inches above her nipples. She then proceeded to pull her legs above water and rub the dirt and soreness from them until it became unnecessary. When she figured she'd never get him to leave, Aurelia turned to face the open wilderness, and rose from the water. She could hear leaves stirring violently- he had finally broken and decided to leave, only after seeing her naked rear end after she exited her watery protection. She stifled a laugh at her first real conquest over the young wolf prince.

Kouga couldn't take it anymore. He had to leave, go somewhere else, anywhere else, before he couldn't control himself any longer. Another cold run would do him some good, the stiffness beneath his furs was more than he could handle. So he left, to his knowledge, without her ever knowing he was there. Once she knew he was gone, she couldn't help but laugh. "This'll be interesting" she mused to herself as she worked the water from her hip length curly tresses. Once she was content with how dry her body was, she walked around to the large stone where her peeping tom had been hiding, inhaling the warm earthy pine remnants of him, the scent of fresh air and freedom. She sat against the rock, wondering what it might be like to be as free as he was. She listened to nearby birds in the trees, daydreaming, when she caught sight of something just around the side of the stone. Leaning on her side, she reached for the foreign green object amongst the rocks. He had, in his panic, left a flower behind; one she recognized from her time, a soft pink peony. How he managed to find one still alive now in early winter was beyond her, but was nonetheless an appreciated gesture.

Placing the delicate blossom in her hair, she pulled herself up off the ground, and started the hike back to the village. Once arriving, she walked to her single room hut and gathered her usual length of thick rope, her bow, and her quiver of arrows. She had long since removed the adornments from her equipment, her bow now back to its original Martin Saber Takedown body. She had owned this particular bow for quite some time, the limbs being scratched and worn with use, time rubbing the camouflage almost completely off. She treasured this bow; being all she had from her life in another time; her beloved father's hunting bow.

Upon her departure for her days hunt, who else but Kouga would be there to meet her on her way out? He was eager to spend more time with his latest fascination. "So where are we off to today?" he asked mischievously, a sly fanged grin plastered about his handsome face. "Flat on your ass if you don't stop walking backwards in front of me." She responded, her sing-song voice thick with passive caution.

As if on cue, Kouga proceeded to step backwards, half into a hole, causing him to fall onto his muscular, aforementioned behind. Embarrassed, he skittered to his feet. Aurelia continued ahead of him, completely disregarding the fallen wolf. Kouga huffed, and jogged back alongside her, while she giggled as they quietly continued on.

Walking further into the woods, Kouga thought he would try to break the silence with conversation. "So," he started smugly, beaming his fanged grin yet again, "Nice flower you got there." Aurelia cut her eyes at him, cleverly responding by saying "Yeah you left it behind after you spied on me in the bath. Next time, you might as well just jump in with me you chicken." She finished haughtily. Kouga froze momentarily, his face riddled with embarrassment. So she HAD known he was there. Now his mind was swimming with all the things he had seen her doing while he hid behind the rock. Was it all a show? Was she TRYING to tempt him?

"So what, do you bathe like that every time you catch someone peeking?" He asked. Aurelia smiled slyly, still looking ahead, "I was trying to see how long it would take for you to be ashamed of yourself." She sighed. "But I suppose part of me was hoping you'd stay for the whole show." She finished, casually shrugging her shoulders. Inside, she was laughing maniacally at her slow but sure torture of the mighty wolf prince. His face reddened, her mission a success, as he became bashfully silent and followed quietly behind Aurelia through the brush.

Several minutes passed, Aurelia still quietly gloating, while Kouga hungrily watched her ass sway as she walked ahead of him, when suddenly, the trees and brush began to shake violently before them. Aurelia whipped behind the nearest tree, grabbing the still walking while daydreaming Kouga by the back of his chest plate, and nocked an arrow. Peering around the trunk of their cover, Aurelia spied an easily 700 pound boar rooting along the nearby briars edges. Looking around to see if any other pigs may have also been tagging along, she saw none, and readied her stance next to her large oaken protector, firing an arrow directly behind the ear; straight into the base of her unsuspecting prey's skull. It let out a single torturous squeal before Aurelia hurriedly approached the dying pig, and slit the beast's throat with her handmade hunting knife to assure herself it was dead. Sango had been so kind as to make her one out of purified and sharpened demon bones, so she'd have a backup weapon while hunting. It however, only seemed to come into play when putting animals out of their misery. After the huge boar was done bleeding everywhere, Aurelia tied its legs together with a section of rope.

Kouga walked up behind her, indeed impressed with her precision shooting, and began to pick up her kill, when Aurelia began to shout. "Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked, irritation dripping from her every word. "Uh, helping?" He answered, unsure of what she was going to do otherwise. Aurelia rolled her eyes and let him finish lifting the boar, which seemed like quite the feat to her, onto his shoulders with the tie across his chest, only holding it with one hand. Sure, now he was going to stink of hog blood and be completely disgusting and crusty by the time they got back, but he didn't really seem to care. "I was going to make something to carry it in, but if you wanna get covered in hog nasty, so be it."

Kouga chuckled. "Wouldn't be the first time, doubt it'll be the last. I've been covered in far worse than this, believe me," he grunted as he adjusted the dead beast on his shoulders. Blowing a strand of hair out of his face, he smiled as he started walking ahead.

"If we go this way, we'll still be downwind from anything that you might want to kill." He said casually, striding ahead as if the boar he was carrying was feather-light. "I should bring you along more often" Aurelia laughed, grateful. She then noticed in her catching up, that Kouga was particularly well built from behind.

Now it was her turn to stare. Aurelia smiled, knowing damn well he must have been watching her the same way while he was following behind her. "Enjoying the view?" Kouga asked proudly, eyes still on the path ahead. "I don't know what you're talking about." She answered, briskly skipping along to match his stride. Now side by side, she could see the self-satisfied smirk he had been hiding, pearly white fangs gleaming in the light. He had a very charming smile, she noticed, a quality she couldn't help but find attractive. She turned her attention back to their path, a light blush rising in her cheeks.

Shortly ahead, she saw another unfortunate beast to add to the villages dinner tonight; a buck, but not just that, a buck much larger than any she had ever seen, with a rack so branched and pronged that they almost connected above its head. "My god, he's beautiful." She said in awe of the buck standing unaware before them. "I almost feel bad for what I'm about to do."

She stood tall, nocking yet another arrow, and shot straight and true, for the beautiful beasts' heart, dropping him instantaneously. He only struggled for a few moments before finally ceasing to fight against his inevitable passing. "My dad would have loved to see this guy" she said as she approached the beast at her feet, kneeling to feel the scar-riddled fur of his shoulders. "Man, these are going to make some remarkable trophy mounts back at home" Kouga's head tweaked sideways in confusion "What do you mean trophies?" He asked, confused. "I'm going to boil down these heads and put them on my wall whenever I get back home. My dad would be proud to know I took something down as massive as these two." Kouga laughed, "You're impressed by these? You haven't seen anything yet. I kill bigger pigs than this on a normal basis for my pack. The deer, yeah I can agree with that one, we usually don't let them live long enough to get that big, but the boar I could top no trouble back in my territory. Probably still have some of the bones back at the den somewhere."

Aurelia sighed, knowing now that she would probably have to make a sled. If not for the sheer spread of the antlers, Kouga could probably carry it with the boar on his shoulders. She tied its hooves together, and went to move the buck; finding it much easier than she would have thought. She then proceeded to pull the buck up to her own shoulders, a previously impossible seeming action. Usually when she hunted she caught smaller deer and much smaller boars or sows, but she had never in her life thought to just carry it. It sat across her small shoulders easier than she thought it would, its hooves reaching to her hips. Once she got the buck settled, she scooped up her bow and they started the trek back to the village. In the failing light of the sunset, Aurelia couldn't help but notice just how striking Kouga really was; from his beautifully icy aquamarine eyes that his brilliant smile never failed to reach, to the perfectly tanned muscles of his sculpted arms and legs.

She did, however, really want to know one thing more than anything else. Was his tail real or just part of that almost too short fur pelt? She slowly began to fall behind to watch the questioned appendage as its owner walked with a feral grace ahead of her. "Hey Kouga," Aurelia started. "Yeah?" he answered, still walking. "I know it's a weird thing to ask, but…could you swish your tail for me?"

He couldn't help but laugh, and comply. "Sure thing." he chuckled as the furry appendage came to life. Her childlike giggling was all he needed. It was music to his ears. "Very nice." She laughed, matching his stride yet again as they continued back to the village.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five, the Chase**

As the sun was finally setting, they arrived back at the quiet village of Edo, the place Aurelia was beginning to call her home. Dropping off the bodies of the days kill, the pair ran into Kagome. "Hey where are you going?" she asked inquisitively. Aurelia sighed, rubbing her shoulders. "I dunno about her," the gore coated wolf demon interrupted, "But I'm going to take a dip in the springs and get this blood out of my hair." Aurelia nodded in agreement. "I could use a good scrubbing myself," she laughed, "plus my shoulders are killing me from carrying that buck all the way back here. I really could use some hot water to ease the tension." Kagome's head cocked mischievously at the pair. "Surely you aren't going to go at the same time, are you?" Aurelia stifled a laugh, "Why not, he saw me naked this morning, nothin to hide now." Kouga's ears perked up excitedly "Don't go getting any dumb ideas now, hentai." she said, playfully knocking him alongside the head. "Oh I won't!" he chimed, happily scampering along behind her towards their new destination, hand-woven towels in tow.

Upon reaching the hot spring, Aurelia proceeded towards the pool she had used earlier in the day. "You can go use the other side, and if you peek again, don't bother trying to hide, it'll just make it worse." Kouga nodded, lightly flushed as she walked behind her side of the segregating boulders. Upon hearing her clothes rustle as they landed on the bare rock, he decided he should do the same, and began to untie the various parts of his armor and furs. Just as he was getting ready to step into his own steaming pool, he decided to get a bit of revenge for her seduction earlier in the morning.

Slowly Kouga stalked towards the opening of Aurelia's half of the spring, a predatory smile creeping across his face. Making sure Aurelia wasn't looking in his direction, he leapt from his cover, naked, and cannonballed into her pool, mere feet from her, causing her to shriek at the sudden breach of privacy. She scampered to the edge the pool as far from him as she could, submerging herself up to the nose in the steamy water. Kouga shot up from the water like a bullet, his long dark chocolate tresses no longer tied atop his head. "Woo!" he hooted loudly, laughing as he pushed his silky hair from his face "That was more fun than I thought it'd be. You should see how red your face is right now!"

He laughed breathlessly as he started to rub the dirt and blood from his chest and arms. "What are you doing over here?!" Aurelia exclaimed before submerging herself again. "What's it look like I'm doin- I'm taking a bath." He responded casually, moving closer to where she was. She scooted as close to the rocks edge as she could to get away.

He was naked; and coming straight towards her. She didn't know any other response besides to bolt. "What're you runnin for? I need your help with something!" He asked suspiciously, making her swim away even faster. Now he was just chasing her around the rim of the pool, trying his hardest not to laugh. Instead of letting Aurelia think he couldn't catch her, he cut ahead, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"Oh c'mon, calm down, I just need you to get my back for me; I can't reach!" He said, pointing his thumb behind him. Aurelia blushed, knowing he wasn't going to stop until she complied, and hesitantly nodded her head. Kouga turned around, smiling triumphantly, and lowered to her reach. She seated herself on a flat rock along the shallower edge of the pool, leaving only the very tops of her breasts and shoulders exposed. Once she had established a comfortable spot, Kouga backed himself up, seating himself uncomfortably close to her, his hips sitting firmly between her thighs. Aurelia had a gut feeling this wasn't going to go well.

It didn't help that his shoulders and a lot of his hair was covered in dried, reeking hog blood. She started by slowly rubbing his shoulders in a circular motion, dipping her hands into the water for better cleaning. Once his shoulders were done she scooted back as far as she dare reveal, and had him dip his head backwards for her to work the matted blood and dust from his hair. As she slowly worked the mattes out, she noticed his breathing slow, and his eyes closing. Kouga managed to drift to sleep while she was rubbing her fingers through his hair and along his scalp.

At one point though, her arms grew tired, and as she went to stretch upwards, eyes shut tight in a comfortable yawn; _his_ eyes shot open- examining at her exposed breasts. "Nice." he said nonchalantly, before closing his eyes again. She quickly lowered herself back into the water, face inflamed with embarrassment, and grumbled angrily as she continued to work out the last of the loosened mud flecks, a huge smile spreading across his face.

Kouga's tail, which until this point had been harmlessly floating around in the water between them, suddenly decided to twitch. Grazing across Aurelia's extremely sensitive inner thigh, it made her not only shriek in surprise, but reflexively pull her hands- which were caught in his hair- downwards, causing her to momentarily drown him. The situation ended in a matter of seconds, but nonetheless would have been hilarious to behold.

As the startled wolf demon shot up from the water, pulling with him the entangled hands of the panicking girl, he yanked forward so hard that a small section of hair ripped out of his head with such force it could very well have torn her unfortunately caught fingers clean off. Kouga yelped as the section of hair pulled from its roots, as any rightful person would, with Aurelia apologizing profusely as she attempted to pull the entangled threads of hair off of her fingers. "Oh my god Kouga I'm so sorry!" she cried as the wincing wolf demon rubbed the sore spot on his head. "It's fine; I was trying to be funny, it's my own fault. Don't worry about it; it'll grow back in no time at all." He laughed, wincing as he felt the tender spot on the back of his head. "Damn Aurelia, you really have some grip there." He scoffed. "My bad Kouga, I wasn't thinking when I pulled." She apologized, halfway starting to laugh herself.

"Need any help getting the crud off of you?" he asked, a devious grin plastered across his face. "No, just need to find a good rock to pop my back on." Kouga's face was riddled with confusion. Aurelia sighed as she tried to think of a way to explain, "Have you ever had a rib pop out of place? Or dislocated a shoulder maybe?" He nodded, remembering all of his past encounters during the hunt for the sacred jewel. "Okay, there are people in my time that specialize in fixing that kind of stuff. A few years ago I fell and knocked some ribs out of alignment, so every now and then they start hurting again."

Kouga nodded in understanding. "I've had it happen before, let me take a look. Lay over on that rock for a second." Aurelia reluctantly complied and laid the top half of her body over a smooth, flat stone at the edge of the pool. As he ran his knuckles along the sides of her spine, his audible grimacing was enough to tell her that her ribs were indeed out of place. "This isn't going to be pleasant, so just bear with me here." He said, trying to be as reassuring as possible.

"It never is" she said despondently, ready for the ensuing torture that was re-setting her ribs.

As he popped them back into place one by one, Aurelia did her best to suppress the urge to scream. After it was over, she limply slid backwards into the water, still slumped forward onto the stone, and let the warmth of the spring seep into her now burning muscles. "Here," he offered, "Let me rub these down, I could tell by the sound they made that it must have hurt pretty bad." Aurelia just sat there, not caring one bit that they were both naked, or that what she felt touching her lower back was more than likely his growing erection, and allowed him to give her a muscle melting massage. Every now and then she would let out a satisfied sigh or slight moan, leaning her head one direction or the other, exposing her slender throat to this almost perfect stranger. She didn't care, it felt too good to care. She had never felt anyone work their hands quite as deftly as he did, as if his fingers were a part of her muscles, putting just enough pressure in all the right places as he worked his magic gracefully across her back. Getting a close look at her skin as he rubbed her down, he eyed a faint white scar below her hips at the base of her spine. As he was finishing, he lightly ran his hand across her ribcage and lower back, as if to brush the last traces of the pain away, causing Aurelia to shudder. Moaning involuntarily in objection as he pulled away from her, she snapped back to the reality of her situation.

She submerged herself into the water, once again hiding everything from the neck down, a heated awkwardness burning through her face. "Thank you." She said sheepishly. "No trouble at all." He replied casually. "I'm gonna go ahead and get out; I need to clean my armor and stuff, so I'll be over in the other pool while you finish your bath, alright?" "Okay," she said, briefly forgetting his nakedness as she turned in his direction. She stood there dumbfounded at his stunning physique. Now that he was exposed she could see his once hidden sculpted muscles with sparkling clarity. Kouga was considerately covering his genitals as he pulled up from the water, wet tail swinging behind a perfectly sculpted ass and legs, the toned muscles of his back rippling as his free arm swayed beside him. He even had that damnable V-shaped muscle on his hips that was notorious for dumbfounding girls in her time.

She hadn't been able to truly appreciate his full physique through his armor, but now it was plain as day for her to see. She silently cursed the stone partition as he strode behind it to clean his clothes. "Now where are all the men in my time built like him?" She wondered quietly, sighing to herself.

Kouga sat at the edge of his pool smiling, etching the feel of Aurelia's skin into his memory. He couldn't believe that she had actually been halfway tolerable of his intrusion on her bath; even if she did have to get over it or get out. She was so different from any other woman he'd ever known in his life; so outspoken, so vibrant, so alive. Sure, Kagome was the same in some respects, but she was never as free with herself. She was always so shy, so awkward whenever he made any kind of move on her. Aurelia was almost excited to get the attention, underneath her thin shield of apprehension. Kouga couldn't help but wonder about what made her so cautious. Maybe it was something to do with that scar…

Aurelia finished her bath just after he was done rinsing his attire. Using the small window of opportunity, he caught a peek of her drying off, the part of her bathing he had missed earlier in the day. "You ready yet?" he called over the rocks. "Just about!" she responded happily. As she stepped around the large stones, Kouga kneeled in front of her expectantly. "What are you doing?" she asked. "I'm waiting for you to hop on so I can carry you back. It'll be quicker this way. You don't want to miss dinner now do you?" he asked, beaming his trademark smile. "Aww, well just how could I say no to that face?" she asked sarcastically, laughing as she hopped onto his back. "Just try not to drop me." She said dryly. "Don't worry, I won't." He responded confidently, before bolting towards the village at top speed, Aurelia clinging to him for dear life.

Upon their arrival, the smell of Kagome's homemade stew danced under their noses. Mouths watering, Kouga let Aurelia down and they followed the intoxicating aroma of herbs, spices, and wild boar. InuYasha had cut the beasts down after they left, with several villagers assisting him in separating the various parts for different meals. The heads, as requested, were tied high in a nearby tree line to allow some of the flesh to decay away for her to boil down the skulls. As they sat down outside InuYasha and Kagome's hut, Kagome happily poured them both bowls of the mouthwatering stew. "Where's the mutt?" Kouga asked offhandedly. "Oh he's just checking up on the well again." Kagome beamed. "He just left a little while ago, but he should be back shortly." Aurelia sighed into her bowl, "I hope it gets to working again soon, for both our sakes." Kagome only nodded her head and leaned over into her, exhausted from her evening of cooking and chasing children.

"This stew is amazing Kagome, you did a really good job on it." Kouga kindheartedly complimented. "I'd sure hope so. I've been working on it since you guys left. So how were the springs? Nice and inviting I'd hope." Both Aurelia and Kouga looked into their bowls, trying to conceal their embarrassment. "Yep, they were the same as always, nice and warm!" Aurelia quickly responded.

"Yeah, okay, because that didn't sound suspicious at all." Kagome sarcastically retorted. "Oh well, hope you guys had fun. Maybe I'll have InuYasha take me down there later for a relaxing soak, I could sure use it right about now."

They continued the remainder of their meal in silence, happy to avoid any talk of what may have happened in the hot spring. As their bowls were emptied, however, InuYasha came crashing through the trees like a bat out of hell.

"Kagome, Aurelia, the well's working again!" he exclaimed, damn near crashing into the trio. "Are you serious?" his wife asked ecstatically. "Yeah, and its feeling like it might be open for a while!"

Kagome was on the verge of tears, "My mom…Find the kids; we're going through- TONIGHT!" she yelled as she scampered off after her children. Aurelia looked disbelievingly at the ground, "I can actually go home… Kouga, I can get home!" Her excitement was quickly replaced with sorrow when she looked at her sullen companion. "Kouga… If I can, I'll come back. You know that right? You know I'm not going to just up and leave you here like that. It wouldn't be right. Just give me some time to get my head on straight; I'll be back before you know it." He just sat there, bangs obscuring her view of his eyes. "You just…do what you have to do. I'll… be here when you return." He said somberly. "You know what; I've got something for you. Just wait here!" She said, jogging towards her small hut.

Moments passed and there she came, bounding towards him with a smile on her face. "This bottle came with me from the other side; you should thank what's in it for me being here in the first place. Now, if you think sake is good, you need to try this." She said as she gleefully uncorked the large glass bottle. "What is this stuff?" Kouga asked, sniffing its liquid contents. "I call it 'party in a bottle'. It's tequila; and not the cheap kind either. Say hello to my good friend- Patrón." Kouga hesitantly poured a small sake glass full of this '_Patrón_' she was so eager for him to try, sighing as he looked at the suspicious clear liquor.

"Now, don't sip it; down it. Just hold your nose, open your throat, and swallow." He apprehensively did as he was instructed, coughing uncontrollably afterwards. "Gah! It feels like my throats on fire!" He managed between struggled breaths. "Don't worry, the more you drink the less it burns. It's strong stuff, I'll give it that much." She smiled, eyeing the glass bottle fondly, "This is what turns boys into men in my time; puts hair on your chest- figuratively speaking of course!" He decided to listen and poured a second glass. "I see what you meant, that didn't hurt as badly." He said; grimacing as the liquid melted its way down his throat.

"Just try not to drink too much; it won't take this long at all to go into effect. You'll be drunk and dancing around naked in no time at all. Look Kouga, this is my special bottle, so take good care of it for me while I'm gone. Just be sure to save some for me; we'll drink to my return tomorrow morning, okay?" She said, hugging him goodbye. "Okay Aurelia, I'll be here when you get back, and I'll try my best not to down it all while you're away."

"I know." She said as she reassuringly stroked his cheek with her thumb and tenderly kissed his forehead before running off after Kagome and InuYasha.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six, Out with the Old…**

Following behind her eager companions, Aurelia contemplated the newest development in her ever unfolding situation. The well was working, _'But for how long…'_ She wondered in troubled silence. She anxiously worried at her lower lip as she considered the possibilities. She was just starting to warm up to the wolf; the way he looked at her was unlike anything she'd ever felt in her life. She knew of his past with Kagome, and yet ever since they spoke that first night, it seemed as if all else melted away but her. The way his eyes hungrily gazed over her seemed admittedly creepy at first, but she couldn't help but enjoy the fact that his eyes were only on HER.

In her home beyond the well, her time, nobody looked at her that way. She was strange to them; the girl with the white-blonde hair and pointy ears. The only man to ever say he loved her besides her father had left her the first chance he could for the prospect of easy action. She really had been nothing to him, after almost 2 years living together. Nick had never looked at her near as endearingly as this stranger had in the entire time she had stayed with him. Never once had he seemed so interested in her past, or her hopes and dreams. _'But HE is'_ she thought, smiling. Sure, Nick asked her now and then what she was thinking about doing when she graduated, besides stupidly following him across the ocean, but it never went much deeper than that. But Kouga seemed genuine, like he wanted to be so much more to her. _'Maybe'_ she thought hopefully, _'Just maybe I can let my walls down again. Just this once; maybe just for a little while…' _

"Aurelia?" Kagome's voice snapped her back to reality, "Huh?" she responded, still half engrossed in her inner thoughts. "We're here. Are you ready?" Aurelia nodded half-heartedly, and Kagome understood. She placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before jumping down the aged old well with Ahri cradled safely in the crook of her free elbow, and disappeared. InuYasha followed, Daisuke safely seated on his shoulders. In a flash of blue light, they too vanished. Aurelia sucked a deep breath in as she threw her legs over the rim of the fickle portal, and slid, nervously, into the dark.

She almost forgot to breathe. As she was traveling through the sparkling abyss of the well, she had held her breath, hoping, no, praying, that it would work. She was skeptical at best, not sure it would grant her access again, as it had the last time. Landing gently on her feet, she looked above her into the shade of the small but spacious building. She had almost forgotten how dark it was inside the well house. She breathed in the familiar scent of the musty papers and forgotten jars of curios from that fateful day she fell. It was almost comforting. Kagome was ecstatic to be back; and anxiously waited for Aurelia to pull herself up before opening the door to the all too familiar home she was born and raised in.

"Mom?" Kagome called nervously as she opened the well house door. Her mother dropped the broom in her hand as if it were made of lead. Seeing the familiar face of her little girl, Rei ran to her daughter, and held her in a tight, near bone crushing embrace. _'Please Gods let this be real.'_ She begged silently as she held her once lost baby girl for the first time in almost a decade.

The tears flowed freely as mother and daughter reunited. Rei was so wrapped up in not wanting to let her baby go again that she almost failed to notice InuYasha, Aurelia, and the two beautiful children that looked so much like her sweet Kagome. "Oh my, you've been busy." She said, wiping a stray tear from her eye. Kagome nudged her hesitant children towards this stranger, their grandmother. "C'mon, don't be shy. Say hello." She encouraged, smiling softly at her babies. Rei smiled kindly as she kneeled down with arms open and inviting to the cautious children before her. Within the span of a moment, they ran into her arms. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Daisuke and Ahri." She couldn't contain herself, "Oh how I've longed for this day, hello little darlings." She said, crying into her grandchildren's hair. Even InuYasha couldn't help but unwillingly shed a tear at the sight of this reunion. "Don't worry, I'm not forgetting you InuYasha, come here!" she cried, waving her arms towards him in overjoyed invitation. "My, you two have done so well, I'm so very proud of you." She said, holding the hanyou as she would her own child.

"HOLY SHIT…KAGOME!" Souta yelled in disbelief from the front door, he ran to greet his not-so-big-anymore sister in a crushing embrace. "How… how'd you get back?" He started, "And you" he said, turning towards Aurelia, "Just where the hell have you been for the last month?" he questioned, already feeling stupid for asking. "Lemme guess, the well right? I swear we need to find a way to fix the stupid thing…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "You've gotten so big Souta, I can't believe how tall and manly you've gotten since I left!" Souta laughed, hugging his sister again. "Ten years and puberty will do that sis; I'm not the little skittish wiener I was before. I'm playing college sports, and got a girlfriend and everything! You missed a lot while you were away." Aurelia sighed at the loving reunion, and dishearteningly trudged inside, if anything to move her stuff for Kagome to reclaim her old room. "Aurelia," Rei started. Aurelia turned and opened her heavy-lidded eyes; "Hmm?" was her only response. "I'm glad you're okay, I missed you too you know." She forced a halfhearted smile in return, before continuing her trek to move her few non-clothing possessions.

As she neatly put away her Halloween costume supplies, Aurelia realized that they hadn't been touched at all since the night she disappeared. Mrs. Higurashi had been waiting for Aurelia to return, like she had waited for Kagome. She smiled weakly as her hands deftly placed the tools back into their respective drawers of her kit. "Wow," she heard from behind her, causing her to jump. "I didn't think I'd ever see this place again. I like what you've done with it Aurelia." "Thanks." She responded, never looking over her shoulder. "Just let me get my things out of the way and it's all yours."

Kagome could hear the sadness in her voice. "But Aurelia, where will you sleep?" she asked, worried. "I'm not staying." she said flatly. "Oh." Kagome answered. "I've been thinking about it since we left Edo, and I can't for the life of me find any reason other than my drug-addled mother to stay here. Sure there's the inheritance my grandma left me, but what's the point of all that money if there's no one here I can find worth using it with? Sure two hundred twenty seven million dollars sounds like fun but it's a lot more hollow feeling when it's just you."

Kagome's jaw dropped so loudly Aurelia could swear she could hear it. "H-how much did you just say?" Kagome gaped in disbelief, "Two hundred twenty seven million?" She sheepishly replied, shying away from her inquisitor. Kagome shook her head, trying to process the amount, "Why on Earth are you working as a groundskeeper then? You could be living in a castle on a sandy beach surrounded by servants and… and… and GODDAMN GENETICALLY ENGINEERED DIAMOND RAINBOW MINIATURE UNICORNS OR SOMETHING!" Aurelia laughed, shaking her head. "That isn't what I want Kagome. When my grandma died, she told me to make a better life for myself with it. Do you know what I've always wanted more than anything Kagome?" The girl shook her head. "No, what do you want Aurelia?" Taking a deep breath, turning to face Kagome completely, eyes full of sincerity, and a little of what looked like pain. "All I want Kagome, is a big family of my own, with a loving husband, and a comfortable home I can be proud of. That's all I want. Money can't buy that kind of stuff." She looked as if she was about to cry, but choked back her words to finish her point. "Look at me Kagome. I'm never going to be accepted here, in this time I'll be nothing but an outcast. In the feudal era, I have a chance. Sure, I'll never land any kind of normal guy looking like this, but I'll take my chances. I'm just going to gather my things and head back. I'm leaving this here for safekeeping" she said indifferently as she laid a little black plastic rectangle on the desk. "Your family is more than welcome to use it if needed; I'm afraid they don't take cards in feudal Japan." She said, a dry laugh escaping her lips as she continued her clothes into a few large duffle bags.

_'__Am I doing the right thing?'_ she asked herself as she worried at her lower lip. _'What the hell is this feeling in my chest, why do I feel so…compelled to go back? I have family here…' _she shook the doubt from her head, determined to stick to her decision. Sure, she had a mom, and an uncle, and a cousin here, but other than that she was alone. _'There isn't much else on the other side either though…' _she pointed out in her mind. _'Mom won't even know I'm gone, and Uncle Jon and Evelyn would understand.' _Hell, she didn't even know her family in Alaska, and she didn't care much to get to know them. They had never made an effort to contact her. _'Anyways what does it matter so long as the well stays open, right? I can always come back.'_ She sighed, resigning herself to her decision as the last of her belongings, her make up kit, was neatly tucked away in a bag. "Can you at least wait until morning to go?" Kagome asked; reminding Aurelia she wasn't alone.

"He's waiting for me Kagome."

She heard the words pass her own lips as if they had answered of their own accord. "Understood." She said, turning back down the hallway, leaving Aurelia to gather her things for a rather unexpected goodbye.

Everyone followed her as she left towards the well, trying their best to convince her to stay. "Just for the night, please?" Souta begged. He had become rather close to her in her time there at the shrine.

"C'mon you just got back. If I remember right you still owe me a game of BattleShots." He pleaded. Her eyes held a silent apology for the boy, "I'll come back, just be ready for me when I do, ok Souta?" His face fell sullenly as he accepted his defeat, "Alright, I just hope I'm home when you visit; I don't wanna miss the chance to hang out again." She could tell the boy felt something for her; however she was resigned to the knowledge that not only was he in a relationship with someone else, and that she did not feel the same.

"Bye everybody," she said with a wave, "I'll be back soon I promise."

The last thing she expected as she opened the well house doors, however, was to find the reason for her early departure drunkenly climbing out of the well with her belongings.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven, a Day to Remember**

**(A.N. "****_You Are Not_****" does not belong to me, it belongs to the band ****_Young Guns_****, go give it a listen, it makes the reading even better!)**

"Kouga?!" She yelped, her face a contorted mixture of confusion, embarrassment, and irritation. "You forgot y-*hic*-your stuff Aurelia!" He drunkenly slurred between hiccups, flopping clumsily over the lip of the well to land roughly on his back. "I'm sorry, I drank it all…" he said regretfully, flashing Aurelia the once well over three quarter's filled bottle of Patrón. "Kouga?" Kagome asked, just as surprised as Aurelia. "How in the hell did you get here?" She shrieked.

Kouga attempted to sit up, and then sassily put his hands on his hips as he slurred his answer. "Down the well, just like -*hic*-_YOU_ did, of course!" he said in a drunken, matter-of-fact tone. "Kouga, why did you drink the whole bottle?" Aurelia asked, worried he might get alcohol poisoning. "I didn't think you were coming back. So I drank it to spite you. Then I felt really bad about it and had to find you to apologize. But you forgot your stuff there in the village -*hic*- so, I brought it for you. I know how much you like that bow." Aurelia chuckled, pulling the drunken wolf prince off of the dusty floor, patting the dust from his back and muscular bottom. "Did you ever think that maybe I left it there to prove I was coming back?"

His face was priceless. "Damn… I didn't think of it that way. I'm so sorry, I just didn't know if you'd NEED it or not. Now I feel like a jackass; can you -*hic*- ever forgive me?" Shaking her head, she continued to guide the clumsy wolf into the house and laid him on the couch. "Its fine Kouga, I'm not mad. Now I suppose I have to stay the night after all, if not to just make sure you don't choke on your own vomit."

Souta quietly celebrated his victory in the kitchen, while his sister's face became riddled with frustration. "I don't know what the problem is with that damn well. First it shuts off for 3 years, and then it opens once and lets me through, only to close for 10 years, then opens again just to throw Aurelia down, then lets Kouga through when it opens up again after just a month. What the hell is the deal?" She rambled aloud.

InuYasha walked up beside Aurelia, who was firmly posted next to Kouga on the couch. "He'll be fine, he's a full-fledged demon, so he'll burn it off in no time." He reassured, putting a hand on Aurelia's shoulder. "Keep your hands off my woman Mutt-face." Kouga slurred, pulling Aurelia down into a laying position onto the couch with him. "Well it seems he's a bit more open when he's drunk. Suppose now I know how he feels about me." She laughed as she propped herself back up on her elbow behind him. "At least I'm not going back for nothing." She said sweetly as she brushed a stray piece of hair from his drunkenly flushed face. InuYasha rolled his eyes. "Suppose I should give him a fair shot now, eh Kagome?" Aurelia asked, smiling. "Maybe when he wakes up you could show him a night on the town. Show him the world you're from. I did that with InuYasha when he would come for me." Thinking about it, she couldn't find much of an argument for it. "Souta, you're about as big as he is, can I borrow something to put him in? Just until I can get him something of his own to wear here; I'd really appreciate it." He huffed and pouted, but agreed.

Following him upstairs, she walked to Kagome's old room with her bags, and dug for something to wear for her big night out with Kouga. "So," Kagome questioned from the door, "Where are you thinking of taking him?" Scrambling through the once neat bags, she paused. "I'm really not sure. I'm thinking maybe something kind of raucous and manly. He's not used to this place, so maybe just take him somewhere fun, like a bar, or a club maybe. I know a good place downtown I could take him, where they know me. What day of the week is it anyways? I lost track of time on the other side." Looking at the phone that had remained plugged in the entire time Aurelia was gone; Kagome read the brightly lit screen. "Saturday, December 6th, 2014. Hey, we came back in time for Christmas." Aurelia nodded her head approvingly. "Saturday; okay I can work with that. I know where I can take him." And with that she dug to just what she thought would work for the night ahead.

"So how do I look?" She asked several minutes later, turning slowly for her friend in the doorway. "You look great, but where are you planning on going like that?" Adjusting her clothes, she plainly responded, "Eh, late night bite to eat, clubbing, maybe go get a new tattoo or piercing while I'm out and about, who knows." She looked at herself in the mirror. She never got the chance to wear this out before, and was glad it still fit properly. Her top was a deep violet, loose fitting sweater with a large black heart in the center of the chest. The neckline was wide, and fell loosely around her slender shoulders, with sleeves that cuffed around her hands. Although the sweater was a tad thin, she had a black spandex bandeau over her black and violet lace pushup bra. Her black shorts were close fitting and cuffed, just barely covering her rather perky behind. To keep her toned legs covered, she wore black and gunmetal gray striped garters connecting her black thigh high tights to the shorts, and a pair of rumpled, knee high velvety black high heeled boots with silver buckles. She pulled her hair back into a black slouchy knit hat, only letting her bangs and a few curly ringlets in the front remain visible.

Putting the tiny violet rhinestone tipped dream catcher back into the hole in her bellybutton, the small diamond topped barbell back through her tongue, and the 3 matching sets of silver chain cuffed earrings she used to wear, Aurelia felt like herself again. Keeping her makeup simple, she wore just glittery black smoky eyes, and some shimmering pale pink lip gloss. Before walking downstairs, she dialed her bill pay service for her cell phone and had it reactivated. No messages from back home; what a surprise. She gathered her things up in a small inky black and grey plaid purse, putting her black American express card into her matching wallet, and headed for the living room. Turning at the end of the stairs, she was met with a gasp from Souta and a quickly sobering Kouga.

"Too much?" she asked, smiling nervously. "No, you look great. I just hadn't seen you go all out like this before." Souta responded. "You look beautiful." Kouga managed to say as he eyed Aurelia in her odd, but unusually attractive clothing. "Thanks. I'm going to load my bags up in the car and we'll be on our way out." Kouga cocked his head to the side, "What's a car?" he asked, helping her lift the heavy bags. "Just follow me," she giggled, practically bouncing out the door, "You're going to get to meet my baby Benny."

His face becoming even more confused, Kouga followed her outside to something covered in a large tarp hidden behind the house. Setting the bags on the ground, Aurelia walked to one end of the tan covering, and pulled. Underneath, her precious American made '67 Chevy Impala sat just as she left it.

"Did you miss me sweetie, because momma sure missed you." She said as she snuggled against the hood of the shiny black automobile. Kouga stood there completely confused. Pulling the keys from her purse, she opened the trunk of the waiting vehicle, and signaled Kouga to put the bags inside. "This is how people get around these days, no more walking everywhere like they do back in your time." She explained as she opened the passenger door for him. "You'll get used to it. Now," she started, as she put her keys in the ignition, causing the engine to roar to life, "let's be on our way then, shall we?" She finished with a smile. Pulling her phone out of her purse, she plugged it into the auxiliary jack and placed it in its holder on the dash. Kouga flinched nervously as rhythmic noises began to play out of thin air. "Settle down and put your seatbelt on so we can go." She said, pulling her own safety belt across her chest. He followed suit, at first struggling with the buckle, but managing in the end to get it to lock with a satisfied 'click'. As Aurelia shifted into reverse and "Benny" thundered out of the driveway, Kouga swallowed hard, wondering if he should have suggested walking.

As they drove, Kouga sat with his face plastered to his window, taking in the sights of what his world would eventually become. The roads were all a strange kind of black stone, every one lit with fireless torches. Men and women walked around in all manner of strange clothes, and the buildings were steel and glass giants that reached for the skies. It was amazing to him, this world she had come from. Pulling into a large lot filled with other steel beasts, these 'cars' as she called them, they stopped, and stepped out into a lively Tokyo night. The building Aurelia guided him to bore a long line of waiting people wrapped along the outside path, but Aurelia pulled him right up to the doors, where a tall, muscular man stood in the way. "Hey Mamoru!" Aurelia happily greeted the stoic man. "Hey Aurelia, I was wondering why we hadn't seen you in a while. Go on in, I'm sure they'll be glad to see you're back." He said; his face temporarily brightened as he pulled the door open for them.

Aurelia took Kouga's hand, and led him through the crowded, noisy club to their destination. "Aurelia!" a young woman happily shouted from behind a long, shiny granite counter. "Hey Izumi!" She happily shouted over the noise. "I'm glad to see you _finally_ getting over Nick. Who's the lucky fella?" she questioned playfully, motioning at Aurelia's male companion, whose back was to her.

Tugging the rolled up sleeve of his white button up to get his attention, Kouga turned to face the pair. "This is Kouga. I'm showing him around tonight, he's new around here." She beamed, as the bartenders face turned red. "Oh my, you caught a real cutie didn't you? Does he have any single friends?" She asked, fanning herself with her hand.

Kouga couldn't stop the smile creeping across his face. The young bartender then fanned herself faster. "Yeah I got a few you might be interested in." He responded, his pearly, fanged grin reaching ear to ear. "I get off in a few minutes; I'll see you out there on the dance floor when I do Aurelia." She said optimistically as she took a shot to calm herself. "C'mon Kouga, let's go dance!" Aurelia exclaimed as she pulled Kouga into the bouncing sea of bodies.

"Aurelia I don't know what to do here!" he whined in protest as she dragged him to a small opening in the edge of the crowd. "Its fine, neither do most of the people here. Just move with the music, let it tell your body where to go." She instructed confidently. As the music shifted to a beat she knew well, Aurelia squealed in excitement.

The infectious beat of David Guetta's "She Wolf" soon seemed to possess her toned figure, as she moved along to the enchanting voice of Sia. Kouga stood beside her, and tried to let his apprehension go. He started to sway behind Aurelia, slowly at first, then moved with her, bouncing as the beat picked up. He didn't understand the foreign language the song was in, but he could feel the bass, as if the melody of the woman's voice and rhythm of the beat had synched to his heartbeat, which terrified and astounded him.

He kept his eyes on Aurelia as they moved to the music, watching the way her soft curly tresses swayed with her, the way her chest heaved as her body rolled with the tune. He could tell she knew the song, knew the beat, understood the words. It was beautiful, the way the emotions played upon her face as she silently sang along, her eyes closed and heart open. This was an Aurelia he had yet to see; the scent of freedom rolling off of her in heated waves. It was captivating, the way she let her worries go as her body moved to the commands of the music. As the song ended and another began, she leaned into Kouga, a breathless smile on her lightly flushed face. "See? You just have to feel it!"

After the song ended, Izumi poked into the space next to them, drinks in hand, and the trio migrated to a secluded booth along the wall. "So how'd you two meet anyway?" Izumi questioned happily. Aurelia thought for a moment, fiddling with the salt along her shot glass rim, and decided to tell her everything. Izumi was her best friend in this time; they had even not too long ago shared an apartment, and worked in this very bar for a spell together, so she figured she would believe her more than anyone else would.

After Aurelia finished her drawn out story of where she'd been and how they met, Izumi went silent. "Shit," she responded, "Wish I could see it, I'd love to get away from all this for a while." Aurelia nodded, "You'd love it. It's so pure and natural. The fresh air is a huge difference in itself. I'll be headed back tomorrow, I'm thinking about staying there most of the time if the well stays open." Kouga's smile was beaming. He knew it was because of him, no matter what she said.

"I fit in better there, you know? I feel like when I lived back in the states when my dad was alive. Just out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by wilderness; it's invigorating to let yourself go amongst it all. Here there are so many rules, but when it's you and nature it's all up to you. Sure there are still laws in villages and stuff, but it's nothing like here." Izumi nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't be surprised if you stayed there. I would too if I had this sexy hunk of man waiting for me." She giggled, eyeing Kouga. He smiled, noticing the burning scent of silent fury rolling off of Aurelia. "Yeah, maybe he has a pack mate he can introduce you to." She bit back. Izumi chuckled, noticing the irritation in her voice, "A twin brother would be even better." She said wickedly, purposely trying to bother her friend. "Sorry" he said modestly. "But I may have a couple of guys that I think you might like."

Aurelia's aggravation was palpable. She knew what they were doing. Izumi was testing her to see how she really felt about Kouga, and Kouga was trying to see if she was going to defend her silent claim on him. "So how serious are you guys anyway? Like, is this a date, or just a tour?" Aurelia froze. She didn't know. Sure Kouga had drunkenly called her his woman, but he never really _asked_ her to be his. The look of panicked confusion plastered to her face told Kouga everything. "Well, if she'll have me, this would be a tour of the world we'll share someday." He boasted happily at the girl across the table. He felt the moment Aurelia's body relaxed next to him. She sighed, answering with "I guess it's a date then." Izumi smiled, nodding at the pair. "Now was that so hard?" she joked at her friend.

"So where else you plan on taking him? This dump surely can't be it." Izumi questioned. Aurelia paused, thinking hard about what she could show him on a Saturday night in Tokyo. "There's always the club by the base. First Saturday of the month is Amateur Night." She mused, Izumi laughing wildly in response. "If you wanna push it sure, but don't forget who you'll probably end up running into." Sighing, Aurelia's head dropped. "I have to face him some time, don't I?" she asked somberly. Kouga was confused. "Who are you so nervous about seeing?" He asked, placing a comforting hand on Aurelia's shoulder. "Her no good, two timing, douche weasel asshat of an ex-boyfriend, that's who." She hissed.

His brows furrowed, his irritation apparent, and puffed his chest out in confidence. "I'll handle it, don't you worry about him Aurelia. Just give me the word and I'll gladly bring you his head." She laughed half-heartedly, "Its fine Kouga, don't worry about it. Just let me know when you're ready to go." She said, returning her gaze to the bar napkin she was fidgeting with.

Before Izumi had a chance to say anything, her attention shifted to the tall, stocky man they met at the door, now walking their way; "You ready to go babe? My shift's up." He asked the willowy bartender. "Yeah, these two have places to go. Take it easy Aurelia. And Kouga," she said, a truly threatening tone under her playful voice, "You better be good to her. Or I'll have Mamoru rip your eyes out." In immediate agreement, Mamoru pulled the toothpick from Izumi's martini, ripped the olive off roughly, and popped it with a sickening squish between his teeth at the comment, providing sufficient confirmation. "I will." he answered, smiling at the girl beside him, his crystal aquamarine eyes burning into her sparkling icy greens.

Aurelia's laughter at the situation relaxed the standing couple enough for them to comfortably leave her in Kouga's care. "We should get going too. Amateur Night starts in half an hour by the base. You're going to love it." She said, gathering her things as they too, began their journey to the club Aurelia affectionately called 'The Lusty Leopard'. The car ride this time was a lot calmer as he spent most of the time trying to get Aurelia to explain where they were going and why she looked like she was up to something. He got nothing from her and pouted, arms crossed in silence the remainder of the short drive.

As they pulled into the parking lot, a group of drunken American soldiers came stumbling out, laughing at one another in a language Kouga didn't understand. When he looked to Aurelia, she was eyeing the other vehicles suspiciously, and relaxed when whatever she was looking for wasn't there.

They continued into the building, where Aurelia was affectionately hugged by a petite, scantily-clad very busty blonde speaking a language Kouga could only assume was Aurelia's native tongue, because she answered without hesitation, eventually pointing at Kouga, who was also then squeezed by the mysteriously exposed woman. "Hi, my name is Amber, nice to meet you!" She said happily in clumsy Japanese. "Hi, I'm Kouga. Can you please let go of me? My woman is right there." He begged, pointing anxiously at Aurelia. Cocking her head sideways, confused, she looked to Aurelia, who happily translated. "It's okay Kouga; she's a good friend of mine." Aurelia assured him fluently. "Has it started yet?" she asked Amber, eyeing the stage. "Yeah, you're going to have a couple in front of you, but it shouldn't be long." She responded in English, her thick southern accent apparent. "We missed you around here; I was starting to think Nick killed you and hid your body somewhere after you guys broke up. I'm sure everyone will be glad to have you back!" She beamed, hugging Aurelia again before running backstage to the DJ's booth.

Swiping her card at the main desk, then again at a weird plastic box that spewed pieces of paper, the two passed through the hallway into the main room of The Lusty Leopard Gentleman's Club. Upon entry into the dimly lit chamber, Kouga attempted to cover Aurelia's eyes. When she laughed and pulled his hand off her face, he knew it had to be why she looked so suspicious in the car. Walking through the maze of tables, Kouga got a closer look at the girls on stage, all of which were in various points of undress; some even completely naked.

Aurelia managed to spy a table directly in front of the center stage, where a drunken college girl no older than herself was awkwardly swinging around a metal pole, giggling and slipping, as a crowd of laughing men in uniform sat cheering her on. After two or three more clumsy inebriated girls, all of whom were apparently friends, a short, stocky man with slicked back hair and a black t-shirt came to their table with a tray of shots. Aurelia spoke with him for a moment, then with a rushed "I'll be right back" and a kiss on the cheek, she was gone. Kouga sat waiting; slowly working on the tray of shots Aurelia had ordered for them to share, alone.

Backstage, Aurelia was talking amongst the regular dancers- her old friends, about how she'd been, what happened between her and Nick, and lastly who was willing to lend her what for when her song came on. Quickly changing into her reclaimed costume, Aurelia readied herself to blow Kouga away. She had received a black and iridescent glitter string bikini set from Cindy, a long red hooded cloak from Lily, and a pair of black and rhinestone open toe stiletto pumps from Shauna. Tonight she would let the world know she had finally moved on with her life and was a new person. As the DJ sent the last girl off stage, and her requested song "You Are Not" by Young Guns started, she was ushered to the platform by the other dancers, who sent her off with nothing but encouragement and cat calls.

As she ascended to the stage, face concealed by the hood of the cloak, she slowly and shyly swayed and twirled around the steel pole, letting the cloaks fluttering reveal only the barest hints of her legs and feet as she climbed the pole. As the first verse picked up into the bridge, she spun faster, allowing a more to show. As the chorus began, however, she unhooked the cloak, letting it drop to the floor, revealing all of her bikini-clad self to the crowd as she spun and climbed further up, multiple spotlights hitting her that made her shimmer like a million colorful diamonds in the sun. Kouga could not believe what he was seeing. The sudden tightness in his loaned blue jeans was unbearably uncomfortable. But he couldn't bear to take his eyes off the beautiful girl on the pole that he could not believe was his.

Looking around at the other men eyeing his woman made his blood boil. However, one newly arrived face a table over, he noticed, simply sat down and observed. The man's hazel eyes were focused, but gave no hint of his thoughts as he watched the girl on stages every move. Looking back at Aurelia, he now understood what she had been doing when he caught her swinging around the sapling earlier that morning. She moved fluidly, rolling her hips and chest around the cold steel pole, swinging slowly upside down in the light by a singular bent leg to the second verse. The lights on the stage were blinding her, blocking her view of what Kouga was eyeing at the next table over. She ignored it, and continued to move with the slow beat of the music.

"Like what you see?" the stranger asked Kouga in perfect Japanese as they both eyed the beautiful girl twirling gracefully around the pole. "Yeah, I do. You?" he asked in return. "Of course I do," he said, sneering. "She used to be mine. I slept next to that tight body for two years." He stated, arrogantly stroking his short, rusty red goatee.

Kouga didn't want to let on that he was now with her. "What happened?" he asked curiously. "She wouldn't give it up. Kept saying she was waiting for marriage. I got tired of waiting and wasn't about to settle down right out of high school. Though it doesn't mean I didn't get it anyway." He chuckled darkly. "If she wasn't giving, how'd you get it?" Kouga questioned, choking back the rushing inferno building in his chest. Hazel eyes never leaving Aurelia, he answered bluntly "I took it. She popped her cherry horseback riding as a kid. So I got her trashed one night, put some stuff in her drink and took what was mine. Told her she fell back into a table corner the next day when she asked about it. Bitch had it coming if you ask me." He snickered.

Aurelia continued her dance undisturbed, basking and twirling in the pulsating colored filters and spotlights to the refrain and final chorus. Angry or not, Kouga's eyes never again left the girl onstage, as she cast a kaleidoscope of color and light that covered every corner of the main room. She flipped her cocoa streaked snowy blonde curls, upside down, slowly winding down the pole towards the floor, a trance-like expression spread across her seductively half-lidded eyes as she carefully walked her legs along to the pulse of the music in the final bridge. Kouga was beyond livid. If Aurelia hadn't specifically asked him not to do anything rash, her bastard of an ex-lover would be a bloody pile of shredded flesh right then and there. As the song ended and Aurelia left the stage, still blinded by lights, and oblivious to the current conversation between Kouga and Nick, she was overwhelmed by the crowd of squealing dancers who had just watched their old friend dance as if she never left.

After changing back into her own clothes and bidding her friends goodbye as they gifted her with her old garments for a job well done, she walked back around to the table where she had left her new love, only to see him chatting with her insufferable ex. Instead of acknowledging Nick, she simply straddled Kouga's lap and kissed him deeply, her fingers eagerly exploring the warmth of his face and neck. Playing along, he deepened the kiss further, burrowing the fingers of his right hand in her long silky tresses, his left roaming down her spine and hips, finding purchase as he squeezed her firm behind. Pulling away for air, she asked him feverishly, "So how did I do sweetheart?" all the while still ignoring her ex. Kouga smiled, peppering her neck with kisses, "Best I've ever seen, love." He answered sweetly.

Feigning surprise, she finally acknowledged the agitated man at the next table. "Hey Nick, I didn't see you there. How are you? Still banging that whore Kairi?" She asked in English; venom dripping in her voice. His eyebrow twitched. "No, I ditched her months ago. I'm enjoying the bachelor lifestyle. What's with bitch-braid over there? You holding out on him too?" he asked contemptuously. "No, actually," She answered, a devious smile spreading across her face, "I was going to bang his brains out when we left here. He has the proper parts for the job, unlike **_some_** people." She continued in Japanese just so the wolf in her arms would understand.

Kouga smiled, a pearly fang biting hungrily into his lower lip. He raised an eyebrow seductively at Aurelia, prompting her to run a slender finger down the crisp white button up Souta had loaned him for the night. Licking her lips, she deftly unbuttoned the top four buttons without him even feeling it, exposing his perfectly tanned and toned chest "I don't see why we can't just go now though. Making him wait just makes it worse for me later." She said, breathing heavily next to Kouga's ear. Nicholas simply stood up from his seat and left the club, the white knuckled rage spilling off of him as he burned his way through the room.

The moment he was out of sight, the pair began laughing hysterically. "I think we should get going. It is pretty late, and I think you've had enough excitement today." Aurelia laughed, eyeing the time on her phone. "C'mon, I know just the place to stay." She said; taking his hand and leading him to the door. As they stepped out hand in hand, Kouga was met with a fist to the face at the door.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight, the Night of Our Lives**

**(Warning, lemony goodness ahead)**

Protectively pushing Aurelia behind him, Kouga let a fist of his own fly into the face of his sudden attacker. Nick flew backwards, hitting the pavement with a sickening smack, his jaw and possibly some of his teeth broken by the impact. "Kouga don't!" Aurelia exclaimed, trying to pull him back from the fallen man. As the furious and dazed Nicholas pulled himself clumsily from the blacktop, he looked at the blood oozing from his mouth, and attempted to swing again. Kouga, trying not to upset Aurelia, sidestepped the wild attempt at his face, and instead settled for flipping the stubborn assailant backwards onto his ass. "Please Nick just stay down!" she begged the bleeding man in front of her.

He spat blood in Kouga's general direction, wiping his busted lip as he pulled himself up and stalked away, muttering curses under his breath. "Are you alright?" she asked, pulling Kouga's face into her hands for inspection. "Yeah, he just caught me off guard. He's a puny human, it didn't even hurt me." He assured, pulling Aurelia along as they headed across the lot back to the car.

The drive to the hotel was quiet; the lingering sexual tension from their display taking its toll on the both of them. Kouga silently eyed Aurelia as she tried to compose herself by rubbing her thighs together as she drove. He watched her as she tried to shake the arousal off of herself, straightening her posture as she bit her lip deep in thought. Aurelia's eyes fluttered and breath hitched as she watched the road, a pained expression spread across her rosy cheeks. So, she _had_ enjoyed his actions, perhaps even as much as he had hers. He held his hands awkwardly in his lap, the jeans becoming more uncomfortably tight as the warm scent of her minty arousal flooded the vehicle. As they pulled into the lot outside the hotel, Aurelia took a deep breath. Stepping out of the vehicle, she walked around to the back and began to grab bags from the trunk, and with Kouga's assistance, began to carry them inside. The lobby alone was astounding; the gilded arches of the doors and marble benches gracefully framed by colorful paintings of natural landscapes.

Checking in to one of the nicest suits for a three day stay, Aurelia guided Kouga to the nearest elevator and ascended to the top floor. As the gilded glass enclosure began to rise, Kouga nearly had a panic attack. Aurelia's near snorting laughter in response assured him it was perfectly safe. Exiting the glass box of death, they made the short walk to their penthouse suite, one of the only four areas available on that floor. After opening the door, she headed straight for the singular oversized bedroom in the suite, and began rummaging through her belongings. Grabbing her shampoo, body wash, and conditioner, she reached into another bag and pulled out what looked like a white sheer piece of clothing, and a white sparkly scrap of fabric. Looking at Kouga for a moment, she dug deeper and pulled out a soft black v neck shirt that belonged to her father; and a pair of loose white and royal blue sweatpants. Leaving him to change, or whatever he decided to do; she strutted to the spacious bathroom, and it's very oversized jetted tub.

She was in such a rush to submerse herself in the steaming hot water of the tub; she forgot to fully shut the door, leaving it just cracked enough for Kouga to get a show as she stripped down. Shame is what he should have felt as he watched her carefully remove each piece of clothing, but he couldn't bring himself to look away; at least not until only her bra and panties remained. Tearing his eyes briefly from her, he decided he had already seen her so what harm could it really do? Looking back, he watched the lean muscles of her back and shoulders roll as she contorted to deftly unclasp her bra, and gulped. He almost couldn't stop himself from running into the bathroom and taking her against the counter as he watched her shimmy carefully out of the lacy strip of violet cloth that was covering his eventual goal, and the mysterious scar on her lower back. Kouga shook his head violently, trying to regain what composure he had, and let out a deep breath, before stripping out of the confines of the now almost unbearably tight jeans. Letting his lower body breathe for a moment, he shook his circulation starved and tingling tail, allowing it to whip freely as he adjusted himself into the much looser fitting sweats, which he wore low enough on his hips to allow his tail freedom. The black shirt she gave him was considerably thinner and closer fitting that the crisp button down he had been wearing all night, but stayed cooler so he didn't mind. Looking at himself in a large full length mirror on the wall, he admired the way the strange future clothes flattered his muscular arms and torso.

Turning around, he suddenly realized he had a rather muscular behind, and smiled as he recalled the way Aurelia had watched him walking ahead of her earlier in the day. Letting his hair fall from the loose braid Aurelia had tied it in, he shook his fingers through his silky dark brown mane. He had almost forgotten how long his hair was when let down. Almost reaching low enough now to tickle the base of his tail, his hair hung loose and swayed gently like a million strands of coffee colored silk. Smelling himself, his face wrinkled at the stench of sweat, so he decided it would be worth the punishment to join Aurelia in the enormous tub. Pulling his shirt over his head and letting the sweats fall to the floor as he walked, he silently made his way to the bathroom, careful to tread lightly as to not alert the bathing beauty.

Upon entering, Aurelia was lathering her favorite shampoo into her scalp, eyes closed as she gently massaged the tingling substance into her hair. Over the sounds of the jets, she never noticed Kouga quietly submerging into the tub across from her. Sliding down to let her hair dip into the water to rinse, she lay propped on her elbows, back arched, and legs raised, with her knees together, and feet inches from Kouga's face. When she was finished working the last of the soap from her hair, she pulled herself back up, opened her eyes, and yelped, reflexively kicking Kouga in the face in her panic. Scrambling to cover herself in the sudsy water, "What do you think you're doing?!" Aurelia managed to shriek. Kouga rubbed his now reddened chin and laughed, shaking his head. "I just thought I would join you for a bath is all. I stink." He answered, wrinkling his nose. "I already bathed with you before; I don't see what's so wrong with it now." Aurelia sighed, knowing he wasn't going to give up and get out. Part of her was really kind of glad he joined her. Eying the tanned and toned muscles of his chest in the brightness of the bathroom lights, she was thankful to get a closer look in the shallow tub.

"Here," she said, passing him her bottle of body wash and a small hand towel. Sure, it was coconut and shea butter with exfoliating beads, but he didn't know it was for girls. "Squirt some onto this rag, and wash yourself off. That soap is just for your body, so try to keep it out of your hair and tail." He popped the lid, smelling it nervously. "It seems okay enough. It smells… soft; if that makes any sense." He commented as he proceeded to scrub himself. "Don't worry, you'll smell like yourself again soon. I like that soap because it doesn't linger like most others will. You'll be back to your earth and piney self in no time." She assured, running a light layer of conditioner into her hair. "So you got a whiff of me earlier did you? Well, did you know you smell like warm earth and sweet mint? It's nice." He responded. Aurelia pondered it for a moment. "Mint eh? Makes enough sense I suppose."

Kouga cocked his head in confusion. "My dad always smelled kind of minty too. When I asked him about it, he would say it was a family thing. Something about where we came from. According to him, because my family is from Alaska; where it's always winter, we always smell sort of cold, like we're reminding ourselves of home or something like that." She finished as she absentmindedly flicked her wrists in recollection.

Watching Kouga rinse himself of the coconut soap, she passed him the green bottle of shampoo. "That one is for hair. Head and tail should be fine with it. Use enough to cover all of it." He followed her instruction, and began lathering his dark brown locks with the nice smelling goo. "My hair is squishy." He commented; half concerned. "That's the soap. It's a good thing." She assured. He nodded, proceeding to dip backwards as Aurelia had when he entered the tub. Getting more than an accidental eyeful of his not so concealed manhood, Aurelia quickly spun away, face even redder than before. Feeling the water slosh with her panic, Kouga shot up from the water, looking around to make sure everything was ok. The scent of embarrassment was rolling off of her, her redness extending to her toned backside. She had clipped her hair up onto her head before he submerged himself, with only the ends of her long white-gold tresses lightly brushing her shoulders. Scooting awkwardly behind her, he placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, squeaking in the process, and looking away from him the best she could, cheeks puffed and eyes closed tight. "What's the matter Aurelia, are you ok? You're turning purple." He asked; concerned. She quickly scampered to the other side of the tub, not saying a word.

Thinking for a moment, he looked down. This wasn't the same murky water of the hot springs he was used to, the crystal clear warmth of the tub left a very open view of his rather hefty manhood. Turning red, he covered himself with his hands, and tried his best to apologize to the flustered girl across from him. "I'm so sorry; I forgot this wasn't the springs. I didn't realize you could see all of this. I hope this doesn't make you feel disgusted to be around me or anything." Aurelia's shoulders loosened as she relaxed and turned around. "It just caught me off guard is all; I mean I know it's there and I know what they typically look like, I just… I just didn't think it was going to be so… BIG." She awkwardly blurted the last word, hands quickly flying from the water to cover her face.

Kouga could smell her sweet arousal permeating the steamy air around them. No matter how hard she tried to scrub it away, the unmistakable ambrosia of her desire clung to her every pore, and magnified in intensity as the blood rushed to her face. "I'm sorry?" he replied, not sure quite how to take her reaction.

He couldn't help but smile; he knew she wanted him but was going to be coy about it as long as she could, her modesty slowly but surely faltering under her desire for him. Even now as she was trying to hide her reddened face, she had forgotten to cover her ample breasts. He noted how full and perky they were, how her soft pink nipples seemed to beg for his lips as the tips began to harden from exposure to the cool steamy air. Even underwater he could see her once again slowly rubbing her thighs together trying to rid herself of the feelings she had for him that were building inside of her. Deciding to let her come to him when she was ready, he slowly pulled himself from the water, grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist, and another to dry his hair. He could see her peeking between her fingers in his peripheral vision, making his smile spread even further across his face. _'She'll give in soon enough.'_ he thought to himself as he strode from the bathroom back into the only bedroom of the suite. _'It's just a matter of time.'_

Aurelia submerged herself nose deep into the water as Kouga disappeared from view. Sighing through her nostrils, she closed her eyes and leaned her hair back into the water. _'How does he keep doing this to me?'_ she wondered quietly as she carefully removed the plastic clip from her hair. As her snowy cocoa streaked ringlets spread slowly through the water, she contemplated the pros and cons of her new possible relationship with the handsome wolf prince.

_ '__Okay. He's sweet, caring, funny and protective.'_ She thought as she meticulously rinsed the conditioner from her hair. _'Not to mention drop dead fucking gorgeous. He seems totally into me, and he doesn't have any kind of wandering eye. Before I ever went on stage he paid little to no attention to the other girls dancing. Any other guy would have been eye-banging every girl in there. But him… he's different, loyal. Am I ready for that much commitment?'_ As the wheels turned in her head, Kouga was busy hatching his own plot to make her acknowledge her feelings for him. Loosening the towel around his waist, he laid in the spacious California King sized bed, relishing how extremely comfortable it was. _'Much better than my furs back at the den.'_ He thought. Lying amongst the nest of pillows and cool Egyptian cotton bedding clad in only the brilliant white towel, he contemplated his strategy. _'I know she wants me, but how do I get her to fess up? I mean I could just lay here half naked and hope she decides to jump me, but I doubt that'll work.'_ "Or would it?" he muttered aloud.

"Would what?" Aurelia questioned, stepping out of the bathroom in the sheer gown she pulled from the bag. Kouga swallowed hard. "Would what-what?" He asked, dumbfounded. "Talking to yourself again are you?" She asked, still towel drying her hair. "Yeah, I guess so." He answered, still breathless at the sight of her. Laughing as she passed by the bed towards a glass door, she stepped out onto the suite's shallow balcony. Leaning on the ledge, she allowed her hair to whip freely against the midnight wind.

Feeling her skin chill as the cool bite of Tokyo's early winter air kissed her skin and billowed under her sheer nightgown; Aurelia smiled and welcomed the feeling of goose bumps rising on her arms. Kouga watched from the bed, smiling at the woman he knew he wanted to be his. _'She smells of freedom.'_ He thought to himself as he watched her curly tresses whip in the midnight air.

When she felt her hair was sufficiently dry, Aurelia padded back across the marble floor into the lushly carpeted suite, closing the French doors behind her. Turning back towards Kouga, he could see where the crisp air had kissed her nose and cheeks. Giggling as she bounded to the bed, a suspicious smile on her face, she leapt into the center alongside him. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked breathlessly. "Sure, what is it?" he asked, immediately regretting his decision. Aurelia curled towards him, plastering her near frozen feet against the warmth of his upper thigh. "Do my feet seem cold to you?" she laughed as he squealed, jumping out the bed to get away from her frozen toes. "Holy shit- yeah they're cold!" He yelped, trying to rub warmth back into his legs. Aurelia's face was oozing wicked delight as she chuckled at him, turned around and curled up on one side of the luxurious bed.

Clapping her hands, the lights slowly dimmed, leaving only the light of the lamps at the bedside on. "So, are you gonna sleep tonight or just stand there and glare at the back of my head?" She joked, not bothering to look behind her at Kouga, who had already dropped the towel and began to stalk her way, naked, without a sound. Quickly whipping under the comforter, he spooned himself behind Aurelia before the blanket fully fell back to the sheets. "Neither." He whispered huskily in her ear, his hands sensuously caressing her hips through the thin chiffon negligée. Aurelia swallowed hard. She knew she would end up paying for her escapades at the club at some point, but she didn't think it would be tonight.

Lightly nipping her ear and kissing the soft spot directly below, Kouga breathed a low "Good night my love," before rolling over to the other side of the bed. He could smell her arousal spike, and though she may not have wanted him to, he heard her near silent whimper of disappointment as he pulled away from her.

She huffed, pouting into her pillow as she recognized her defeat at the warm, slightly calloused hands of the wolf behind her. _'That bastard is trying to get me to come to him!' _she thought in outrage. _'Well, two can play at that game.'_

A sly smirk spread across her face as she turned towards the "sleeping" wolf prince. Straightening her face, she scooted closer to his backside, the sight of his muscular shoulders almost breaking her reserve. Carefully spooning against him, she wrapped an arm around his waist, her delicate fingers brushing across his chest as her palm settled over his diaphragm. She felt his muscles momentarily twitch at her touch, as a low sound which could have either been a growl of disturbance or a groan of approval emanated from his chest

_ '__So she wants to play that game does she? We'll see about that'_ he thought mischievously as he lazily pulled her arm under his, holding her delicate wrist in his hand against his chest. He could feel her body tighten in panic when she realized there was no escaping his grasp. Thinking quickly, she brought her lips to his ear, sensually whispering "Oh, Kouga can I _please_ have my hand back? I need it for _other_ things tonight." He froze, hesitating for a moment, allowing Aurelia to quickly pull her arm free. Deciding she was in over her head, she rolled back over; laying ass to ass with him in what she called the 'Butt-erfly', just pleased that she was able to retrieve her stolen appendage. Kouga looked over his shoulder at the girl, deciding he was nowhere near done for the night.

Rolling back towards her, Kouga placed a hand on Aurelia's shoulder, pulling her backwards until she was flat on her back. His hand slid down to her wrist, and pulled her hand up above her head, as he maneuvered himself between her legs. As she tried to push him away with her free hand, he grabbed it as well and held it with the other above her head. "Kouga, what are you doing?" Aurelia shrieked as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp. "Relax, I'm not going to do anything that you don't ask me to; nothing permanently damaging at least. I just want you to listen to me for a second. Think you can do that?" He asked huskily, as he looked Aurelia in the eye. As she nodded and relaxed, his grip on her wrists loosened.

"You can deny it all you want," he started, "but I know as well as you do that you want me. Worry not fair maiden, I'll ruin you eventually, but not until you come to me fully willing to be mine and mine alone. All I ask is for you to let me give you a taste, or rather, give me a taste" he said, winking mischievously, "of what to expect in the future. You smell so aroused that I keep thinking you're just going to explode from the tension. Allow me to relieve some of that pressure for you. Perhaps then you'll understand how much I want you as well." Thinking momentarily about the possible consequences of giving in to his request, she realized there really weren't any. Fully relaxing into the mattress, she nodded in consent, as his hand left her wrists, and moved to her throat as his lips fell hungrily onto hers.

Massaging her lips with his own, his tongue skimmed her lower lip, begging for entrance. As she parted her lips in approval, their tongues danced feverishly with one another; her sweet, cool taste mixing with his earthy warmth. As they groaned hungrily into each other's mouths, Aurelia's slender hands wandered through his loose, silken coffee colored locks, drawing a husky moan of approval from the wolf prince as his hips began to reflexively roll against hers. Gasping slightly into his mouth, Aurelia's body responded by arching into him, her hips bucking hungrily in harmony with his body's rhythmic rocking. Leaning his weight onto one elbow, his free hand wandered from her toned hips, up the sensitive side of her ribcage, and to her right breast. Heatedly grasping at the covered mound, Kouga hungrily squeezed its softness through the embellished fabric, wishing Aurelia were instead lying naked beneath him. Feeling his hesitance, Aurelia reached both hands across her body to the bottom of the negligée, pulling the offending fabric over her head as she continued their heated lip-lock

Moving his mouth to the side of her throat and down the base of her neck, Kouga gently massaged one of her now exposed breasts, lightly rolling one of her now hardened nipples beneath his thumb. As she whimpered in delight, her hands involuntarily pulled his shoulders down towards her midsection. He complied by placing her perky nipple into his mouth, massaging the soft nub of flesh with his warm, wet tongue, occasionally rolling the point between his fangs, careful not to puncture the delicate skin.

Feeling her back arch further into him and hearing her groan of approval, he gave equal attention to the other smooth mound, shifting his weight to use his other hand on the first. Slowly crawling backwards, lightly dragging his hands over her sensitive midsection, he moved further south towards his destination. Gently massaging the softness of her inner thighs and kissing the soft juncture of her toned hip, he slowly slid a calloused hand towards the wet warmth between Aurelia's legs. Raising her muscular lower limbs to his shoulders, Kouga hooked a finger around the white sparkling cloth obstructing his path and pulled it up to her knees and over her feet, throwing the scant piece of glittery fabric onto the floor with the nightdress Aurelia so eagerly discarded.

Pulling her legs back down around him, Kouga once again massaged the smooth limbs before placing his right hand against the source of her burning arousal. Slowly stroking her sex, he dropped his face to her warm, wet opening, sliding his tongue slowly up the dripping folds before rolling his tongue meticulously around her swollen clit, the pressure of his tongue causing Aurelia's breathing to violently hitch as she arched her back and blindly rummaged through the sheets, grasping at the fabric clumsily as she bit her lower lip and whined behind clenched teeth.

She was no stranger to oral play, she and Nick would use it as a means of working around her refusal to surrender her remaining virginity, but never had he ever been this attentive, this meticulous, this…hot. Aurelia's head was swimming with lusty visions of what else Kouga could be capable of in the bedroom. As she rolled her hips against his hungry mouth, she continued to arch her spine in ecstasy. Kouga ran his warm tongue down her sex towards her swollen, pink opening; his tongue parting the folds as his tongue entered her tight, dripping depths.

As his tongue slid in and out of her tight sex, he used the thumb of his other hand to roughly massage her clit, the stimulation of both overly sensitive areas causing Aurelia to buck erratically against his touch. Her passionate moaning and whimpering at his actions gave way to fervently crying his name and begging him not to stop. Removing his face from her deliciously wet warmth, he quickly replaced his tongue with a long, muscular finger, turning his hand so his thumb was still working at her swollen clit. Sliding the appendage in and out of her tight depths, Aurelia's cries became impassioned shrieks of pleasure as he rubbed the internal spot other men in his pack spoke of that drove their mates wild. Aurelia hips and legs were bucking and kicking uncontrollably as her tightness was stroked into blissful oblivion by the gorgeous man laying between her legs.

Trying to muffle herself, she placed the meat of her thumb in her mouth and bit down, half in pain yet still managing to further arouse herself. Panting through her nose and clenched jaw, she ran her fingers back through her own hair as she feverishly bucked in pleasure to the touch of the man before her. Kouga slowly added another digit to the movement; to which Aurelia's whimpering moans intensified further. Applying more pressure to both areas, Kouga mercifully allowed her to finish before she lost her voice completely. As the burning knot of pleasure tightened in her abdomen as Kouga's pace increased, her back arched erratically and her hips bucked uncontrollably as the ball unwound, releasing a supernova of tingling sensations and relief.

As he felt her feminine muscles tighten around his fingers, he rubbed even harder until she gasped; crying his name at the top of her lungs, and her sex was flooded with the sweetest smelling ambrosia of nectars, the warm liquid of her satisfaction slowly dripping down his hand. After her muscles ceased their spasms and released their iron grip on his fingers, he wiped his hand casually across the foot of the comforter while watching Aurelia melt blissfully into the mattress; her breathing returning to its normal pace, and hands slowly releasing the sweat-soaked sheets and pillowcases. "That was…amazing." She gasped, feeling the tingle of the cool air dance against her tingling skin for the first time since their sordid escapade began. Climbing over the pile of rumpled blankets, Kouga planted a chaste kiss on her cheek. "Where did you learn to do that?" She asked as she snuggled into his chest. "Couple of my pack mates thought it'd be a good idea to give me a few pointers for whenever I managed to find a suitable mate. You wouldn't believe how awkward it was to hear them explaining that stuff, the hand gestures alone were enough to make anyone shiver." She could feel the low rumble in his chest as he laughed at the memory.

"So, what are they like?" she asked, looking up. "Hmm?" "Your pack mates; I haven't met any of them yet. Or are they all just a bunch of perverts I should really stay away from?" She asked, giggling. "I think you'd like 'em. Goofy as they might be they're good guys; and the women are pretty interesting as well." He looked at her for a moment, and a warm smile spread across his face, "I think you'd fit right in with them to be perfectly honest." Aurelia blushed, burying her face into his chest again. "I hope so." She responded, giggling.

Feeling mischievous, her hand drifted from his chest, to his toned stomach and hips, then down to his quickly hardening erection, the muscles twitching as her fingertips grazed the skin of his shaft. "How about this; so my conscious is clear, I'll pay you back for what you did for me?" she said cheekily as she slid herself underneath the comforter. "Oh, that's really not NECESSARY!" he gasped as she put his impassioned length in her mouth. "Oh g-god Aurelia, what are you doing?" he gaped between hitched breaths. She only chuckled in response, the low hum of her voice heightening the sensation. Kouga knew this kind of thing could be done to women, but never had he thought a woman could reciprocate.

Just about all demons had fangs of some sort, but sharp, pointed teeth were typically not allowed near such a sensitive area on the men. Aurelia had a pair of pearly, petite fangs herself, but they were a lot smoother at the tips than any demoness' might be.

Gliding her tongue around the edges of his sensitive tip, Kouga shuddered, prompting Aurelia to slide along from base to peak as he squirmed beneath her grasp. Lowering her mouth again and again to take in more of his engorged manhood, Aurelia paced herself to where she could place _almost_ his entire erection in her mouth, the tip tickling at the back of her throat where her near non-existent gag reflex resided. Kouga was losing control of himself, and fast. He never knew this kind of feeling existed. How Aurelia managed to keep surprising him the way she did was beyond him. As the twisted knot burning in his gut raised to an inferno, he groaned heatedly as he released himself into her mouth, his hands gripping the sheets so hard the fabric began to shred.

Feeling triumphant, Aurelia swallowed hard and licked the edges of her mouth, careful not to leave any traces of her victory behind. She reached over and dug through her purse, hoping to come across a stray pack of gum while Kouga tried to regain his composure, his breath raggedly returning to its normal pace. Crawling back into bed, Aurelia curled up into his chest, still very much naked, and passed him a piece of spearmint gum. They sat awake for a while, talking about the events that had just transpired, and each other. Then, as the sun began to peek over the Tokyo skyline, they drifted to sleep.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine, There and Back Again**

They spent the next forty eight hours exploring the town during the day, and pleasing each other at night. Aurelia's reluctance to forfeit her virginity was maddening, but Kouga wouldn't push the matter. He was falling hard for this girl, and fell deeper in love with her by the minute. Aurelia honestly felt the same; if she hadn't promised herself she'd wait to find the man she'd spend forever with and marry him first, she would have torn through anything in her way to have her way with the man currently sharing her bed. Sure, she had only met him a matter of days ago, but she felt something with him that she never once experienced with Nick, trust. She had always been wary of his intentions from the beginning. Her longing for acceptance had overshadowed her ability to make logical decisions with her relationship, causing her to distance herself not only from her family and friends mentally, but physically. She followed him, never fully trusting him, across the ocean where her family couldn't protect her. Although, she smiled, knowing that if she hadn't been so irrational, she would never have met Kouga.

Looking across the dinner table, she admired his features in the warm flicker of the candle light. After shopping the second day, he had almost an entire wardrobe for when they decided to come back through the well to visit her time. She loved the way the crisp collar of his black button up looked against his tanned skin. With his jacket hanging on the back of the restaurant chair, she could admire the toned muscles of his arms and chiseled shape of his chest. Uncomfortable with the cuffs of the sleeves, he opted for rolling them up his forearm, unable to roll any further than his elbow. Aurelia loved the way men looked with rolled sleeves; especially when it came to Kouga. She didn't look half bad herself. He eyed the way her sun-kissed skin almost glowed in the candle light; her bare arms and shoulders inviting to be touched. The royal blue fitted halter dress stopped just long enough to cover her perky behind, the back outrageously open, baring the entirety of her tattooed back, with slender silver chains draping loosely across the open space. She had even invested in a pair of silver thigh high open toe strappy stilettos. She felt as if she may have overdone it, even going so far as to do full hair and makeup.

Kouga didn't care much for the makeup; he preferred her natural features, from her long, thick eyelashes to her adorable freckles, that at the moment he couldn't see under the face paint. Her complexion was smooth and even anyhow, her lips always perfectly soft to the touch. He couldn't wait until morning, when they would return to the shrine to say goodbye before returning to the feudal era. Deciding now was as good a time as ever, he reached across the table, and placed Aurelia's delicate hands in his. "Aurelia, would you do me the honor of coming to stay with my pack at the den when we return tomorrow?" he asked, eyes filled with hope. Aurelia paused, and thought for a moment, before responding. "Are you sure? We haven't known each other for very long, and moving in together is a pretty big step to take."

Kouga smiled, pulled himself to her side of the table, and pressed his lips to hers. "I'm more certain about this than I've ever been about anything in my life. I want you to be mine Aurelia, and if that's to happen, you at least need to meet the rest of my pack. I'll wait for you no matter how long it takes; I have all the time in the world." Stroking her face gently with one hand, he cupped her chin, and brought his face to hers, their lips meeting in a tender embrace. Pulling away for air, he looked into her eyes with a tender affection she had never known. "I'll do it. I'll come back to the den with you and meet the others. Hell, I might even stay. Just please keep in mind that nothing super serious is going to happen for a while. I promised myself I'd save that experience until I know I've found the one. Nick tried to push it; I just hope you don't follow in his footsteps."

Hearing that rat bastard's name made Kouga's blood boil; he didn't deserve to have his name pass those perfectly kissable lips. He wasn't worth the breath it took to utter his name. After hearing what he'd done to her, he wanted to tear his throat out then and there and watch him gasp for air like a fish out of water, choking on his own blood as he grasped at the sky, begging for release from life. Seeing the fire burning behind his icy blue eyes, Aurelia held his hand in hers, and leaned into him, placing her forehead against his shoulder in comfort. Looking up tenderly at the troubled wolf, he snapped out of his murderous trance and melted at the sight of the kindness in Aurelia's eyes.

"Sorry, I just lost myself in thought for a moment." He apologized, wrapping his arm comfortingly around her slender shoulders. "It's ok, I get lost in thought thinking about how I'd kill him too sometimes." Kouga looked at her, surprised. "I know that face. It's the same one I make when I'm feeling particularly vengeful. He isn't worth your time; he isn't worth anyone's time for that matter." Quietly leaning into each other for a few minutes, they paid for their meal and returned to the suite.

Plopping onto the bed, Aurelia held out a foot, signaling Kouga to help her remove the shoe. Unzipping the back of the boot, he pulled the boot down her leg and rubbed her foot, doing the same to its equally sore twin. Letting her feet fall limply onto the bed, Kouga pulled his own shirt, shoes, and socks off, and hopped into bed alongside her. "And you're sure you want me to stay with you?" She asked; lying on her back with her knees pulled up to her chest, absentmindedly watching her glittery blue toes wiggling in the air.

Feeling squirrelly, Kouga crawled over to Aurelia's feet, grabbing the wiggling appendages by the ankle. "Of course I do, I wouldn't have asked otherwise." He started, absentmindedly waving her legs in the air above her. "Aurelia, this will be my one hundred and ninety eighth winter, and I need to start seriously thinking about the future of my tribe. I'm not as fresh faced of bachelor as I once was. And if I have to pick any woman in the entire world, past or present, it's going to be you, hands down. You're smart, beautiful, funny, strong, and willful. You're everything I've ever wanted in a mate."

"I swear on my tribe's well-being that there _IS_ youkai in your blood," he further added, "I just can't for the life of me figure out what kind or just how much. So no one can say I'm mating some meek little human. You said you still have some family in this time, right?" He questioned.

She nodded, "Yeah I do, why do you ask?" "Well," he started nervously, "How about next time we pop over to this side we visit them? I'd love to meet them."

Aurelia scoffed, wiggling her captive toes at his face, "So would I. I mean, I know my mom, my uncle, and my cousin, but my dad's family is a mystery to me. I suppose we could catch a ride to Alaska next time we're here. Might be a little tricky though; I suppose we'd have to get papers on you next time were here too. Try to remind me ok?" He nodded, not really knowing what she meant other than she was agreeing to return together and travel the next time they came this way.

She put her feet against his shoulders as he stood on his knees against her bottom. She pressed her legs downwards, attempting to push him back. Kouga, deciding to be frisky, firmly grasped her ankles and proceeded to playfully hump her legs, thrusting his clothed lower body against her thighs and ass while groaning ridiculously. Aurelia yelped in response, laughing and flailing her legs wildly in an attempt to get away. Easily moving both ankles to one shoulder, he firmly gripped her legs with his newly available hand and thrust harder, causing Aurelia to squeal and laugh even louder as she attempted to squirm from his iron grip. This was how it always seemed to start for the past three days. They would talk for a while; one of them would touch the other in some sort of playful manner, be it rubbing cold feet on the other person while curled up watching a movie, or poking one another in an attempt to tickle the other into submission while fighting over the blankets. After they would wear each other down to the point of heavy breathing and laughter, they would begin feverishly kissing, while hands wandered over warm, glistening skin, until someone eventually ended up groping or rubbing something.

The nightly activities were wearing down on Aurelia's reserve; she had almost even given in to him. Though he didn't have to go completely without, Kouga remained patient, knowing soon enough she would give in and become his in every way possible. She wanted him, bad. God, she wanted him. She just wanted to be sure. She was beginning to understand Kouga on a level so much deeper than she ever knew Nicholas. Never in the two years she had been with him did she feel so connected. Things came so easy with Kouga; she could talk to him without worrying; he never once interrupted her or acted irritated about it, even when she rambled. He listened so intently; as if he was soaking up every syllable of information, as if he were studying for the most important test of his life.

She felt so important, so appreciated. She felt so free around him, so relaxed, so _loved_. It was no wonder she was giving in so quickly to her body's wishes; he was perfect for her in every way imaginable. Handsome, fit, funny, perverted, a little twisted, and yet still sweet enough to take home to mom…. At least, if her mother weren't a black tar heroin addict.

All that remained on her checklist was meeting his pack. If she liked them and they liked her she could very well stay with him at the den he spoke of so fondly. She wasn't one hundred percent sure about living in a cave system in the mountains, but was more than willing to at least try it. She had so many things to consider; and such little time to think.

None of these things however, were on her mind; as her focus was on the handsome wolf youkai burying his face between her legs.

Ever thankful for getting laser hair removal when she did, she laid back and enjoyed the feel of his warm, wet tongue against her smooth skin as she had been for the last few days. Not knowing when they would do anything again, she savored every kiss, every embrace as if it were their last; uncertain of how much privacy his home would allow them. Though he claimed to be even less experienced than she was in the bedroom, he was learning fast. Gripping a handful of his silky locks, she moaned his name and felt her body give in to the blissful oblivion that was Kouga.

After they were both satisfied, they laid comfortably in each other's arms, neither able to fall asleep, both far too excited about the return trip in the morning. "So," Aurelia started, breaking the silence after a few minutes, "Do you really think they'll like me? Your pack, I mean." Planting a tender kiss on her forehead, he breathed an easy, reassuring "Of course they will" and buried his face in her curly, cocoa streaked, snowy blonde tresses. As he felt her breathing slow and heartbeat steady, he knew she had finally gone to sleep. As he closed his eyes and nuzzled further into her hair, he murmured "They'll love you, just like I do" and drifted to sleep.

As the sun rose the next morning, the sleeping pair awakened. Tangled up in a mess of arms and legs, Kouga and Aurelia carefully slid off of each other and began the arduous process of re-dressing themselves. After meticulously re-packing the duffle bags full of clothes, Aurelia held her hand out, "So, are you ready for this?" she asked simply. Kouga smiled, dropped the bags onto the trolley, and took her hand. "More than you know." He responded, kissing the offered hand as they traveled downstairs and checked out.

Driving up to the shrine, Aurelia's stomach was in an anxious knot. Kouga, sensing her nervousness, placed his hand over hers and calmly stoked it with his thumb, reassuring her of his decision. "It'll be fine," he said, "There's no need to get so worked up, you might as well be part of the pack as far as I'm concerned. I mean, you might have some jealous females to contend with, but other than that it'll be okay. You're being courted by their Alpha, so even if they don't like it, they can get over it and kiss my ass. I'm not letting some closed minded knuckleheads get in the way of our happiness." She stifled a laugh and managed to relax enough by the time they pulled into the Higurashi's driveway.

"Hey!" Kagome eagerly called from the front door, "Did you guys have fun?" She asked, bounding up to the shiny black vehicle. "Yeah," Aurelia started as she opened her door and stepped out. "Tons of fun; even did a little shopping for Kouga while we were out." She finished, motioning over at the wolf climbing out of the passenger seat. Kagome's jaw was on the floor; the sight of Kouga's well-toned torso under the soft, close fitting black V-neck t-shirt he was wearing, coupled with the ass hugging gray tone jeans (tail hole kindly tailored in) was almost too much for her.

"Wow," she commented, looking over him, "You even got him to wear shoes!" She squatted down, and picked up the ankle of his jeans to reveal a pair of black 5.11 brand combat boots, complete with inseam zipper for easier removal. Laughing at the thorough eyeballing he was getting, he helped Kagome up. "Yeah, they aren't too bad. I'm still getting used to the weird ankle support in them. Not quite the same as feeling the grass beneath my feet but I'll get used to it eventually." He chuckled. Kagome shot Aurelia a knowing smile before wrapping her pale arm around Aurelia's tanned one, and strolled away to talk. Waving her hand at Kouga, she signaled it was okay to go inside without them. "So," Kagome began, "Spill. What happened between you two? I know that look in his eyes when I see it." Laughing nervously at the question, she responded, a distant look in her eyes as she continued walking. "Nothing too serious, I promise. I agreed to go meet the rest of his pack and we'll take it from there. I call it dating, he calls it courting. It'll be kind of a trial move-in to see if the pack can accept me into the fold."

Thinking for a moment, she turned towards Kagome. "If I remember correctly, didn't you say you've met them all? What are they like?" She asked anxiously. Kagome reassuringly patted her hand as they continued to wander the grounds. "They're a good bunch of people. I only ever _really_ got to know his two right hand men though, Ginta and Hakkaku. They're sweet, almost like blood brothers to Kouga. If you can win them over, the rest will be smooth sailing. It shouldn't be too hard though, since they're fine with just about anything that makes Kouga happy. You'll fit in with them a lot better than I ever would have, I'm at least certain of that much."

Letting her shoulders slacken for a moment, Aurelia sighed, at least partially relieved. "I sure hope so. I really like him Kagome. Things are just so…easy with him. You know what I mean? I don't want to mess this up. Speaking of messing things up, you'll never believe what happened when we left here the other night…" As Kagome eagerly listened to Aurelia's recollection of the past few days, minus the juicy tidbits about their extracurricular activities, she laughed. Her favorite part was the strip club fight with Aurelia's ex. She could only imagine the look on the poor guy's face as Kouga's fist connected with his jaw. Watching the emotions of the last few days play across her face as she relayed the story, Kagome smiled, knowing that Aurelia was falling harder than she dared let on.

As they walked back towards the house, smiling and talking about their respective men, they were met at the door with the sound of them arguing. Eavesdropping for a moment, they picked up enough to figure out that InuYasha and Souta were grilling Kouga for details about their weekend together. "No!" they heard Kouga angrily shout, "What happened between us is none of your business! If you wanna know so bad, go ask her yourself!" he barked as he headed for the front door, much in need of some fresh air. As he swung the door open, Aurelia awkwardly smiled at him, knowing they were busted. "Hey sweetheart, we were just on our way in…" she started, embarrassment creeping across her face. "Would you go get ahold of your mate?" he growled at Kagome, walking past the two, huffing as he cleared the stoop.

Trailing behind her beloved Kouga, Aurelia followed him as he plopped onto the ground next to the sacred tree, inhaling deeply as he threw his head back against the bark. Even with his irritated expression burning through his closed eyelids, he was beautiful. Aurelia settled next to him, drawing her knees to her chest as she leaned her head onto his shoulder. Feeling him relax against her touch, she turned her head, planting a tender kiss on his shoulder. He smiled softly, leaning to plant a tender kiss of his own on the top of her head. Sitting quietly for a moment, Aurelia broke the silence. "Wanna get out of here?" She asked, lacing her thin but toned arm around his tan, muscular one. "Yeah, let's go ahead and get ready to go. I need to get out of these pants." He said, shifting uncomfortably. Giggling inappropriately, she nodded her head. "I suppose I could wear that pretty kimono I bought yesterday back to the den. It would make better sense than meeting your pack in this." She added.

Thinking for a moment, he disagreed. "Nah, I think you look just fine like this. We'll work on getting you a set of pelts like mine when we get back to the den. For now though, they should see you in what makes you comfortable. We can save that kimono for a special occasion."

Looking down at herself, she worried if the weather on the other side might not be as welcoming for her navy blue jean daisy duke cutoff clad legs and white spaghetti strap crop top. Winter in Tokyo hadn't quite reached its coldest yet, the city's buildings protecting them from most of the wind. Edo, however, she was unsure of.

Standing up, she led Kouga back to the car, to retrieve his armor and furs from the trunk, and a pale gold and black striped cardigan to cover her arms. She opted to keep her black velvety boots and thigh high tights on, unsure of the weather for the trip ahead of them. "Should I just leave my bags here or what?" She asked him as he gathered up his favored armor and pelts. "It's up to you. We'll have to find a way to carry them all over to the den. Maybe Sango will lend us her two-tail. If not, I suppose I can get a couple of my guys to make a trip back to Kaede's for them."

Aurelia thought for a moment. The bags weren't very heavy to be honest, but they were particularly cumbersome. "Or I could just load them all up on my shoulders. They aren't too bad on weight, they're just bulky." She suggested. "I suppose we could do that. As long as I don't do a whole lot of jumping, we should be fine. Just try to keep them from flopping everywhere, okay?" He answered. "Sure thing" she replied

Lugging her bags into the well house, she stared into the musky darkness that was the Bone Eater's Well. Contemplating their fast arriving journey, Aurelia left her bags as she walked back towards the house, eager to get going as she went to say her goodbyes.

Walking through the door, she seated herself on the sofa next to Kagome and Souta, who were covered in giggling children. "When can we come back and see Nana and uncle Souta?" Ahri asked, crawling up the couch behind Souta's head. "Yeah, when can we come see them again?" Daisuke followed, sitting upside down between the two. "We'll come back soon for Christmas, or maybe they'll even come to see us." Kagome responded, plucking the little girl from the back of the sofa. "Hell yeah," Souta started. "I'd love to come see what it's like on the other side. Maybe even help InuYasha kill a demon or two while I'm at it!" he stated proudly. "Yeah, I don't know about that." His sister anxiously replied. "So are we all heading back together or are you guys going to hang around here for a while longer?" Aurelia asked. "I'm not really sure. Why, are you in a hurry to leave?" she questioned in return. "I just want to make it to the den before nightfall. Sounds like a hell of a journey to get there."

Kagome laughed, "Oh please, you'll be there within the hour if Kouga carries you. Even without his jewel shards he's quite impressive." "Why thank you Kagome." The wolf prince said smugly as he descended the stairs in his traditional furs and armor. Pulling his hair into its usual high ponytail, he smiled as he caught Aurelia eyeing his long, muscular legs. "Your face is going to get stuck like that if you keep staring, you know." He said, smiling confidently. "Are you ready to go?" he asked his intended as he straightened his attire. "Yeah, I was just waiting on you." She answered, looking at her feet. He offered her his hand, which she gladly took, pulling herself off the couch. "Well then," she started, "I suppose we're heading out now." She said as she walked towards the door, waving goodbye to everyone as they left.

Loading the various duffle bags onto their shoulders, they jumped into the well, Aurelia first; and reappeared five hundred years in the past.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten, Meet the Family**

Seeing the open sky above her, Aurelia tossed her set of bags onto the lip of the well with relative ease. Climbing the mortared stone and timber walls of the well, she sat on the top edge, looking down as she waited for Kouga's reappearance. As he materialized in the blue violet light of the well, he leapt upwards, propelling himself off of the crossbeams, with the bags firmly affixed to his shoulders. Upon landing, he passed the bags to Aurelia, who then added them to the two she was already holding. As he kneeled down, Aurelia climbed onto his back, holding on as tightly as she could, and yelped as he took off at full speed towards the den he called home. As they raced through the forests and open valleys, Aurelia laughed as the wind whipped her hair behind her. "I'm surprised you're doing so well. When I used to carry Kagome, she'd scream." He said, pushing to go even faster as he began leaping over trees and the beginnings of rocky terrain. Aurelia could only laugh wildly as she held onto his shoulders, "This is awesome!" she shouted, "I could do this all day, Kouga! This is amazing!" She laughed breathlessly as the wind blurred her vision and the cold whipped at her face.

_'__Damn, she really is something else.'_ He thought to himself as he felt her nuzzle her warm face into the crook of his neck. Letting out a low, throaty growl of approval, he cleared the remainder of the small cliffs that led to his den.

Feeling Kouga slow his pace, Aurelia opened her eyes and took in the beautiful sight of the massive waterfall. "Oh my god" she said in awe as she slid off of his back. Still loaded down with bags, she slowly walked towards the crystal blue waterfall, "You live here?" she asked in disbelief, "This is nothing, the den is behind the falls, and it keeps us well protected in the deep winter when it freezes."

Hearing their Alpha's voice, his pack members appeared from behind the falls in clusters. "Hey boss!" she heard one shout happily from behind the crowd. "Let us through!" she heard another bark as the pack reluctantly shifted apart. "Ginta, Hakkaku! Nice to see you managed to keep everything in order while I was away!" Kouga jokingly greeted as two males began to proudly saunter over to them. "Don't worry; you didn't miss anything important while you were gone." The one with the long white Mohawk dismissed casually. "Yep, everything went smoothly as usual." The other male with the white and dark brown rice ball hair added.

"So, is this her?" the mohawked one asked, carefully approaching the girl. "Yeah, this is her. Aurelia, meet Ginta," he said, gesturing towards the rice ball, "and Hakkaku." He finished, pointing at the one with the Mohawk. "Hello," she said shyly, holding out her hand to shake theirs. Awkwardly, they both took her hand, one at a time, and said their own 'Hellos'. As Kouga took the bags from her shoulders, he guided her through the crowd of wolves and wolf demons alike, and began the tour. "She smells nice" Ginta commented, "Kind of minty right?" Hakkaku added.

Following behind Kouga, she mentally mapped each area he walked her through, starting with the large, main den. "This is where we eat and hang out," he stated, waving at a few lounging demons as they continued through stone corridors. "These are some of the personal dens, kind of like that _'Hotel'_ in your time. Each fits one to two families depending on how many cubs a mated couple has or is planning to have. Now, we have an underground spring system running through the mountain, so most of the more spacious dens have their own bathing areas, but this," he motioned at a large pool as they approached, "Is mostly where the children play and bathe. Anyone is welcome to it though."

As they continued down through the maze, he pointed out the dens of more prominent pack members, the tribe's healer, and lastly, at the farthest living space into the mountain, his own den. The entryway was low and unassuming, covered by a simple woven straw mat nailed into the stone for privacy. When he pulled the mat back however, Aurelia was almost in tears. You live in this, all by yourself?" she asked, dumbfounded as she let her eyes graze over the high ceiling, smoothly carved walls and built in shelves; all of which were neatly filled with woven baskets for one thing or another. "Alpha, remember? I was hoping to settle down and have a nice full family of my own someday. When I had our lead stonemason commissioned to build my den, I made sure it was perfect. You must admit, Biruda did a damn good job." She eyed the large, plush pile of furs along the back wall of the den, the carved stone platform underneath mimicking that of an easily king sized bedframe.

Looking further around the space, she noticed reflections dancing along the ceiling in the corner of the cavernous space. Walking towards the glistening reflections, she looked down into a large, perfectly clear, steaming, white sandstone bottomed spring. "Oh my," was all she could say as the sparkling water lightly rippled below. "So, do you think you can stay here in my humble abode or is it too rugged for your tastes?" he asked, carefully placing her bags on the floor by the bed. "Are you kidding me? It's beautiful!" she shouted excitedly, running into his arms. Wrapping her slender forearms around his neck, she kissed him deeply. He responded accordingly by wrapping his own muscular arms around her toned, slender waist, and pulling her tightly against him.

Breaking the searing kiss, the both of them desperate for air, Aurelia trotted towards the bag made especially for her bow, and pulled the instrument out. Unpacking her quiver and arrows from another case, she turned, taking Kouga by the hand, and headed back for the main den. "Aurelia, what are we doing? Aren't you going to unpack your stuff?" Kouga pleaded, attempting to convince her back to the privacy of his den. "Nope, not yet; too excited" she quickly dismissed as she jogged excitedly through the seemingly endless maze of tunnels. Upon arriving in the main entrance, she pulled off her boots and socks, placing them in a small alcove along the wall. Jogging towards the waterfall, she took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, and continued onwards, followed closely by Kouga, and the all too curious Gina and Hakkaku.

"C'mon Kouga, let's go for leisurely stroll through the woods and kill something! I wanna make a good impression on my first day!" she playfully shouted behind her. "Alright then, follow me." He responded, bolting ahead of her, with Ginta and Hakkaku hot on their trail. "Wait up boss!" they shouted despondently as their leader and his intended mate sped ahead of them.

Following breathlessly behind Kouga through the woods, Aurelia leapt barefoot over roots and stone, savoring the sensation of the cool winter rye underfoot. Giggling as the cool wind whipped her hair behind her, she ran; a renewed sense of freedom coursing through her veins. She only slowed down when she spotted Kouga silently leaning against the trunk of a sturdy pine. Pressing a muscular finger to his lips, he motioned ahead of him as Aurelia tiptoed behind the tree with him. Peeking through the surrounding brush and briar thorns, she spotted her prize; the single largest boar she had ever seen in her life. Easily twice the size of the one she killed outside of Edo, she silently nocked an arrow, and aimed for behind the massive beast's ear.

Just as she was releasing her arrow though, Ginta and Hakkaku awkwardly and loudly stumbled through the brush, causing enough commotion that the boar turned towards the group, taking the arrow to his eye instead of the vulnerable spot she targeted. Squealing bloody murder, the pig violently shook his head, bolting half-blind into the woods. "Dammit!" Aurelia cursed as she ran after the fleeing beast, another arrow already drawn and ready. Chasing the screaming boar through the trees, Aurelia fought as branches and thorns caught her cardigan, threatening to knock her off her feet.

In its panic, the boar crashed through several pine trees, eventually knocking himself off balance as it stumbled, still squealing, through the woods. She soon caught up with the beast, letting loose another arrow at his exposed spot as he crashed into a large, unyielding oak, and ended its life.

Approaching the boar as his death rattle echoed off of the foliage, Aurelia unclipped her hunting knife from the side of her quiver, and jammed the blade behind the beast's ear, and into its head. Kouga came running through the trees, his right hand men hot on his trails, just as Aurelia pulled, roughly wrenching the thick, serrated blade from the boar's skull. "Whoa," Hakkaku huffed in awe, hands on his knees. Ginta, who was leaning against Hakkaku as he caught his breath, could only say "Damn." Kouga was beaming with pride.

Walking up as Aurelia roughly yanked the first arrow from the carcass' eye socket, he could only nod his head in approval of her kill. "Nice save," he complimented. "Yeah, well I didn't want him getting away, so I figured what the hell, might as well let him think he had a chance." She huffed, using the back of her hand to wipe the light layer of sweat from her forehead before pulling the second arrow out. "Wanna help me out here? I don't think I can carry this one just yet." She asked, wiping the blood, hair, and grey matter off of her knife. "Yeah, I've got you covered." He responded, deftly lifting the easily 1,400lb dead beast onto his shoulders. His face showed minimal signs of struggle as he tried to keep the boar steady across his back.

Wanting to look as strong for Aurelia as he could, he stifled his groans as the burning strain in his muscles ached as he carefully jogged back to the caves, with Aurelia, Ginta, and Hakkaku close behind.

As they approached the den, Kouga dropped the beast off at the entrance, followed by hoots and hollers of excited pack members, eager to sink their teeth into the rather large beast their leader delivered. "Damn Kouga, you really outdid yourself this time!" one demon congratulated. "Don't look at me, I just hauled it back. You wanna give credit, talk to the little lady that took it down." He stated proudly, glancing back at Aurelia, who was red faced and staring at her feet shyly. "It's no big deal; I just wanted to earn my keep is all." She stated nervously, awkwardly shifting her weight from one leg to the other. "Well, you've earned it for sure. We'll be eating well for a while." Hakkaku chirped, clapping Aurelia on the shoulder. "C'mon guys, who wants to help me clean this bad boy up for dinner tonight?" he asked, as several demons helped carry the boar for preparation.

Extending a hand towards Aurelia, Kouga pulled her alongside him as she gathered her discarded boots, and they headed back to his den, for at the very least a cleansing dip in the water. As they entered their now shared quarters, Kouga reached around to Aurelia's front, gingerly unbuttoning her bloodstained cardigan. Pulling the concealing sweater from her shoulders, he casually threw it onto the floor. Aurelia, eager to comply, began unbuttoning her shorts, and as Kouga proceeded to pull them down, she reached up, pulling her shirt over her head. Down to her jeweled white lace bra and matching white thong, she spun around, beginning to untie the straps that held his shoulder pads to his chest plate, revealing his toned, tan, and muscular chest.

As she leaned down to untie his shin guards, he pulled at the tie in his hair, releasing his thick cascade of coffee colored tresses, and the bands of fur along his wrist and forearm. As she straightened her back to face him again, she pulled herself closer to him, deftly untying the loose pelt draped around his hips. He used this opportunity to wrap one muscular arm around her waist, the hand of which carefully unclasping her bra, as the other snaked down her hip, slowly tugging the scant piece of sparkling fabric from his prize.

Aurelia, knowing what was about to happen, decided to slip from his grasp. Instead of running for the bed, she headed for the spacious spring instead, knowing they both needed a good soak before engaging in 'other' activities. Bending over, she pulled her sparkling white thong down to her ankles, giving Kouga a generous view of her perky, muscular behind, and the faint, mysterious scar he had yet to ask about. Using the thong as a sling shot, she tossed it effortlessly into the pile of discarded clothing, and slid into the water, making a sensuous 'come hither' gesture at the now naked wolf in the room. Quickly getting the hint, he loped towards the water, entered it with a clumsy slosh, and waded towards the beautiful girl that was waiting for him.

Sinking ever further underwater, Aurelia dipped under the surface, wetting her curly locks. Only raising from the water enough to expose herself from the nose up, she raised a seductive eyebrow at her pursuer, before submerging yet again. Picking up on the game of chase, Kouga followed suit and ducked underwater after her; the warm, clean water easy on his eyes as he attempted to search though the bubbly, dimly lit abyss for his sweet Aurelia.

Feeling the water around her swirl with Kouga's pursuit, Aurelia prolonged the chase; narrowly slipping out of his reach as she flowed with the ripple of his movements, concealing her position as he near blindly chased her. Seeing a chance to strike, she waited for him to lash out, leaving himself vulnerable. Following the wake of his movements onto his back, Aurelia wrapped her legs around his waist, arms around his chest, as she planted a sneaky kiss along the crook of his neck, causing a sudden panic as he shot up from the water, his woman wrapped tightly around his midsection.

Laughing, he tried to shake her loose as he turned around, unable to break her vice-like grip. Burying her face in the crook of his neck, she held tight even as he dunked her underwater, attempting to drown her into submission. Turning her face upwards in the water, she simply grabbed ahold of his earlobe with her teeth and bit down until he pulled her above the surface. Yelping, Kouga clumsily splashed around the water, allowing Aurelia to let go as he nursed his ear. Resting playfully against a stone along the edge of the pool, she watched him; her eyes filled with lusty visions of other things she wanted to do with the handsome wolf youkai.

Turning to face him, Aurelia spread her arms out and exposed her neck in submission, biting her lip as she awaited her 'punishment' for disobedience. Finally rubbing the soreness from his ear, he stalked across the water towards his waiting vixen, a lusty grin spreading mischievously across his face.

As Kouga closed the distance between them, he reached out, placing one hand along the flat plane of her toned hip, and the other along her throat, his fingers grasping greedy fistfuls of her hair.

Once again starting their hungry dance, Kouga nibbled along the exposed edge of her neck, stopping to lightly suck on the warm juncture of her throat and shoulder. As she whined in anticipation, her breath hitched in her throat, while her wandering hands found clumsy purchase on the rippling muscles of his back and woven within his coffee colored silken locks. As the hand planted on her hip began to slide down towards the warm juncture of her legs, she leaned her face down, playfully nipping at his sensitive ear. A low growl of approval rising from his chest, Kouga gently raked his fangs against the now tender flesh of her neck, causing Aurelia to heatedly gasp in his ear, further provoking the inner beast he wished to unleash upon her.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven, Just When You Think You're Alone**

Before things could get very far, a gut wrenching screech was heard echoing through the tunnels, effectively killing the mood. "Dammit," Kouga cursed under his breath. "What was that Kouga? Is something wrong?" Aurelia questioned as he quickly pulled himself from the pool. "Damn that woman!" he hissed, tying the loose pelt around his hips. Extending a hand towards Aurelia, he helped her out of the water, as she dried herself off with a packed towel, and dressed herself in just her sea foam and amethyst gradient colored silk nightgown, a violet lace thong and bra, and matching amethyst colored silk bed robe that covered halfway down her thighs.

"KOUGA!" an angry female voice called from closer down the stone halls. Pushing Aurelia protectively behind him, the woven door covering the entrance was whipped back as a very irate red headed woman in white pelts stormed into the chamber "What's this I'm hearing about you courting someone else?!" She shrieked, apparently out for blood. "You're supposed to mate with ME you BASTARD!" she screeched, reaching out to slap him. He deftly caught her pale, fur clad wrist as she swiped towards his face.

"Your pack mates say she's already moving in here at the den. So, where is she? I can smell that minty bitch everywhere." She calmly hissed through gritted teeth as she pulled her hand back towards her chest. Stepping out from behind Kouga, Ayame finally got an eyeful of her 'competition'.

Securing the tie on her robe, Aurelia smoothed the fabric out and looked Ayame dead in the eye. "A hanyou, really; especially one this far down the bloodline? She reeks of human. What is it with you and picking weak little mortals? I could tear her to shreds right now if I wanted to." She scoffed as she stalked in a circle around this new suitor of Kouga's. "I wouldn't be so sure about that." Aurelia assured Ayame, eyes locked as she stood still, growled at the predator stalking around her, searching for any weakness.

Lunging for Aurelia, Ayame's assault was cut short as Aurelia spun out of her grasp, pitching Ayame forward into the hard stone wall as she quickly closed the distance. Grabbing her right arm by the wrist and twisting it painfully backwards up her spine, Aurelia placed her left foot against Ayame's instep, her knee sharply pressing the raging demoness' against the unyielding stone. As she tried to thrash free of Aurelia's grip, her arm was only pulled harder, causing her to shriek in pain as the nerve was pinched, temporarily deadening the limb. Still refusing to back down Ayame struggled again, leaving Aurelia no choice but to release the dead limb, push her free forearm against the back of Ayame's neck, and grab for the other scrambling hand, pulling it up as she had the first.

Leaning in close to Ayame's ear, she purred threateningly, _"If you wanna be able to use this other arm I suggest you give up. I don't like doing this to people, but if you don't stop I'm going to have to render both of these limbs completely useless. Temporarily of course, but I know firsthand it hurts like a bitch,"_ As she lightly tugged the demoness' arm upwards, further enforcing her threat, Ayame hissed in pain and ceased her struggling, signaling her submission to Aurelia. Letting go of the humiliated redhead, Aurelia walked back towards Kouga, a look of total pride spread across his face as he snaked his arm around her waist, settling his hand on her hip. "You got lucky bitch. This is far from over." Ayame spat as she rubbed her dead right arm, electricity surging with every gentle sway. "The name's Aurelia. Next time you try to take me on, be mindful of your surroundings. It appears I know Kouga's bedroom better than you do." She smugly commented. Ayame only growled in response as she stalked out of the den, furious for embarrassing herself in front of her beloved Kouga.

"Well _somebody_ has a mean streak," Kouga teased, pulling Aurelia close. "I'm sorry," she started, kissing his neck, "I just don't take kindly to being threatened; especially not in my own home." Chuckling to himself, he began to explain the situation. "That was Ayame; the northern wolf tribe elder's granddaughter. She's been after me for years. I was supposed to marry her a little over a decade ago, but backed out. She wasn't the one for me, and even though she obsesses over me, I know deep down she feels the same. She just refuses to let it go out of pride." Satisfied with his explanation, she decided to plop down onto the mountain of furs, patting beside her for him to sit with her.

Following her onto the bed, he sat puzzled as she began to play with his long, mostly dry chocolate locks. Pulling it apart in two sections, she began making two messy braids over his chest as she talked to him. "So, are there any other women I should be looking out for while I'm here?" She asked, working on braid number one. "Nah, Ayame beat most of the others foolish enough to want me. Once they see what you've done to her, you shouldn't have any trouble. I have to warn you though; she's a bit on the stubborn side, so you might end up seeing more of her later." Absentmindedly bobbing her head, she commented with "That's good. I think I'd like to get ahold of Ayame at her best. She's got some guts, I'll give her that much. She might be a pretty decent challenge for me now that she's got an idea of what she's up against." Chuckling as his beloved worked on the second braid, Kouga responded, adding "You really are something else, you know that? You've got a mighty mean streak hidden underneath all that sweetness. I must say, I really like a woman with a backbone."

Using a few hair ties, she finished the loose, disheveled braids, mussing up his bangs as she gave him a final glancing-over. "Sexy but sweet, very nice," she mused as she eyed the wolf with the coffee colored braids across from her. Kissing him sweetly, she leaned over and searched through her bags for something more appropriate to wear for dinner with the pack. Standing, she peeled herself out of her silk nightclothes, and began redressing. Opting for a close fit, white V-neck tee shirt, a pair of blue jean shorts, and some white and baby pink striped thigh high toeless socks, she carefully dressed herself, as Kouga watched her.

Deciding to stay laid back; he wore only the pelt around his hips, his shin guards, and the wrapped pieces around his wrist and forearm. Forgetting to pull his hair out of the loose braids, he padded towards the main den, arm draped firmly around the shoulders of Aurelia.

Stepping out of the torch lit tunnel of caverns towards the main entrance, the couple was greeted with a mix of uneasiness and pride. Most of them had been out in the main den as Ayame stalked away, her dangling, useless arm in tow. Many were now bowing their heads as Aurelia walked past, acknowledging their respect for the newcomer for her victory over the demoness. Others, mostly female, were slinking back, unsure of the new girl laying claim on their alpha. Settling her down next to the fire, she and Kouga were shortly joined by Ginta and Hakkaku. "You sure did a number on Ayame, Aurelia." Hakkaku commented. "Yeah, she looked pretty upset when she left. What happened with you two?" Ginta asked carefully. "She came at me." Aurelia answered casually, "She was throwing a fit because Kouga doesn't want her, and decided she'd try and show me up in front of him. It didn't turn out too well for her though. She'll be fine in a day or so; she'll get the feeling back in that arm soon enough, she's just embarrassed is all." Leaning into Kouga's lap, she laid her head on his lap, face up, and began flipping the ends of his braids, playing as if they were fighting each other.

"Nice hair Kouga," another wolf demon commented from around the fire. "Thanks Yotogi. Maybe if you found a woman of your own you could get yours worked on." Kouga spat back. "Why should I, this one smells like she's still on the market; I don't see your mark on her neck yet." The other demon smugly replied as he walked around the fire and into view, sitting too close to Aurelia for Kouga's comfort. "I wouldn't push it if I were you Yotogi," Ginta warned. Sitting upright, Aurelia turned to get a better view of the other demon attempting to make a move on her. He was lean, the sinewy muscles of his torso and legs hidden under a thin layer of tan skin. His nose was a tad large for his face, his unkempt shoulder length mane of cocoa brown hair windswept and wild looking. Sporting a small patch of facial hair on his chin, she moved up to his chocolate brown eyes that were filled with condescension and self-importance. Looking at the exposed upper left arm, she read what looked like a crude tattoo of the word "Bitch" written in kanji down his arm from shoulder to elbow. Inwardly rolling her eyes, she finished her assessment of the rival suitor. Leaning into Kouga, she casually said "Sorry Yotogi, I'm all Kouga's." And rolled back, and continued her braid fight. "Your loss dear," he bragged, shrugging his shoulders.

"What loss?" a female youkai laughed from behind them. "Really Yotogi, did you run out of cubs to pester?" a male voice added. "Ha-ha so funny Ruka; and you're one to talk Tomotsu with all those girls trailing after you all the-OW!" he yelped as he got knocked on the head by the short, strawberry blonde woman. "Keep talking about our baby sisters like that and I'll rip your cock off Yotogi." She threatened as the tall, muscular male with the short, scruffy, dark auburn hair laughed.

"Watch yourself Yotogi; she may just do it this time. Damn, do we have enough boar meat?" Tomotsu joked, looking at the sections roasting over the scattered fires. "Just means more to go around." Kouga commented proudly, leaning back as Aurelia played in his lap with his hair.

"Nice to see you back lord Kouga," the female said, "Enjoy your little vacation away from the den?" Looking down at his intended, he responded with "Yeah I even brought back something worthwhile while I was away." Standing up, Aurelia walked over to the standing pair of youkai, and shook their hands. "Hi, my name is Aurelia. It's nice to meet you." She courteously spoke as she greeted the pair. "Ruka," the girl started, "and this handsome hulking hunk of man is Tomotsu, my mate." Tomotsu gave a smile and a curt nod as they proceeded to sit around the main fire with them.

"You guys didn't start dinner without us did you?" another male asked as he and a much larger male jogged up to the group. "Nah, Biruda, still waiting for everyone else before we start." Ginta said happily, his stomach growling in anticipation. "So I hear I've gained another charge today, and a tough one at that." The larger one half-questioned as they approached. "Aurelia." She greeted happily, walking to meet the two oncoming males. The larger of the two shook her hand, laughing as he playfully clapped her on the shoulder. "So I hear you put the hurt on little Miss Ayame earlier," "She came at me first. Perhaps she'll move a bit quicker next time." She defended. Laughing deeply, he said "Bengosha, nice to meet you Miss Aurelia. I already have a feeling we'll be good friends." Flipping his long, tied, auburn Mohawk over his shoulder, the wistfully stroked his long, unevenly braided beard in satisfaction.

"Biruda, right- I saw some of your work in Kouga's den" She complimented as she shook the other males hand. "You're very good at what you do." His short, sandy brown fauxhawk faded down his handsome face into a five o'clock shadow with a short, but plush, matching goatee. He flashed a shy smile, his face beginning to turn red. "Thank you, I try to be thorough." He responded awkwardly as he and Aurelia proceeded. Despite the multiple long pale scars adorning his body, and the one that scraped over his left eyebrow and into his hairline, he was actually quite handsome. Aurelia couldn't quite understand what he could be so shy about.

Sitting back down next to Kouga, they looked on as their meal was finally reached a thorough level of doneness. With watering mouths, they began pulling the sections of meat apart, Kouga being the first to take his piece. Once he separated his and Aurelia's portions, the others happily dug into their own sections, laughing and talking as they enjoyed their dinner.

As dusk transitioned to evening, Aurelia got to know each of the demons around their particular fire quite well. Bengosha was the eldest of the group, and the one responsible for protecting the new mothers and children while the men and unmated females were away at battle. Yotogi, the second eldest was the leader of their scouting division, his eidetic memory and mastery of stealth making him particularly useful at gathering information.

Ruka, the female, was the hunting party leader if Kouga was unavailable for whatever reason, using a well-trained pack of wolves as impromptu hounds, whilst riding on the back of one of the few remaining dire wolves as a mounted archer. Tomotsu, her mate, was head of training for the adolescent pups too young to fight alongside the adults. Last but not least, Biruda was the highly praised head stonemason for the tribe, leading a team of five or six of his siblings to expand the den deeper into the mountain.

When she later asked why she was seated amongst the most elite of the pack, Kouga simply responded by saying "As my intended mate, your place as the alpha female is amongst the leaders. One day soon you will need to know how this pack functions, because if I'm not here for whatever reason, you are to maintain the den as leader until my return, or if the worst should happen, until our children are strong enough to take our places." Fidgeting with a stray lock of his hair, Aurelia curled into his chest, and began tracing the edges of his muscular chest. "Well, I suppose I really need to get to know everyone though, I don't just want to jump in at the top of the pecking order. To really understand a group dynamic, you start at the bottom and work your way up. If I'm going to stay here with you I need to get a deeper understanding of the other members of the pack before I work on my people skills with the elites." She mused, half engrossed in the feel of her fingers feathering the edges of his soft, tan skin.

Groaning in approval, Kouga began rubbing her shoulder with the hand attached to the shoulder she was using as a pillow. "I'm glad you're giving my offer some serious consideration." He said, smiling as he kissed the top of her head. "This is day one for me." Aurelia interjected, "Today is Monday in my time, give me until the end of the week and I should be able to give you a solid answer. Five days should be all I need to figure myself out, okay?" "Fine," he groaned as he adjusted under the large bear demon pelt he used as a blanket. "But I wouldn't be surprised if you made your mind up before then. You're fitting in well so far, Biruda seemed to like you well enough, and he's the only one I was really worried about. He usually takes a lot longer to warm up to people, but he's a good judge of character. If any of the others like you half as well as he seems to, the other pack members won't be hard to convince. Ginta and Hakkaku seem to admire you well enough already."

Smiling, she curled against his back, wrapping her arm around his chest before falling asleep. This was going to be a long week for her, and today was only the beginning.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve, House of Wolves**

The next morning, Aurelia bid the morning a lazy welcome as she stretched out across the pile of furs. Turning over, she discovered that Kouga was not beside her. As she dressed in a clean set of cinched Capri style mint green sweatpants and a close fitted white camisole, she mentally planned her morning- work out, maybe catch a bite of leftovers to eat, maybe even explore the surrounding area of the mountain a bit if she had the time. Slipping into a pair of simple canvas shoes, she pulled her hair into a high messy ponytail, her fringed bangs refusing to be contained. Finding herself sufficiently dressed for her morning workout, she pulled her blue yoga mat out of one of the larger duffle bags and proceeded outside. Before she cleared the main den however, she was caught by a very excited Ruka.

"Good morning Aurelia!" Ruka happily greeted as she loped across the mouth of the cave towards Aurelia. "Where are you headed?" "Oh, nowhere in particular, just out for my morning routine. What about you?" She questioned back, still walking. "What kind of morning routine? You mean like training?" She questioned eagerly, matching Aurelia's pace. "Well something like that; just basic exercises really, stretches, strength training, and coordination type junk. You wouldn't be interested." Aurelia responded, trying to discourage her. "Oh on the contrary, I'm very interested. Mind if I join you?" she asked, her voice dripping with mischief. "No, not at all," she sighed in defeat as she continued her search for a suitable area.

As they walked, Aurelia continued to search for a clearing in the woods cozy enough to practice in. Venturing only a quarter mile from the base of the mountain into the piney woodlands, they came across a clearing the size of a small basketball court. The lush, winter grass was soft on their feet as Aurelia laid out her yoga mat, and Ruka plopped down in the grass to observe. Not but five minutes in, however, she decided to try what Aurelia made appear so easy. "How the hell do you bend your legs like that?" she exclaimed as she fell over in the grass. Aurelia laughed. "It's called the 'Sage Half-Bound Lotus'. Just let yourself loosen up and you should be able to reach your foot. Just follow my lead. Left foot and left hand on the ground nice and flat; now bend your right leg up across your crotch, and wrap your right arm behind you to the front where your hand can reach your foot." Ruka clumsily followed the instructions. "OH GOD I'M FALLING!" she shrieked as she tipped over face first into the grass. "Just keep trying; you'll feel balanced enough for it sooner or later." Aurelia giggled.

Ruka pouted and attempted the pose again…and again…and again, once more before finally letting out a huff of frustration and giving up, opting for the new, not so difficult looking pose Aurelia had switched to, the 'Forearm Stand'. Wiggling uneasily with the breeze, Ruka did her best to hold her back and legs straight. She was determined not to let the new girl show her up and make a fool of her.

The wind, however, seemed to have other plans. Suddenly changing directions, the breeze blew a stray lock of strawberry blonde hair into her face, tickling her nose. She sneezed, wobbled awkwardly, then fell on her face, legs curled above her in a perfect 'Scorpion'' position. Giggling at her companion, Aurelia pulled her own legs down, and walked over to help the demon up. Stretching her legs out, Ruka rolled over onto her back with a low moan, her face red and dirt smudged, and her chest plate full of soil and bits of grass.

"What kind of crazy torture techniques are you using on my woman over here?" Tomotsu playfully questioned from the tree line. "Cause I want to see if I can do it to her later." He laughed, emerging from the shadows. Walking over to the pair of girls, he leaned over, hooking his finger into Ruka's nose.

Ruka squeaked and playfully swatted at him as she rolled away, attempting to flee. Her efforts were to no avail, as Tomotsu grabbed her around the waist and hefted her up over his shoulder. "We'll be back later, Aurelia, I think I'm gonna try that technique out right quick." "You'll have to catch me first!" Ruka snickered as she snaked down his back and rolled safely away from his groping hands.

After a few quick steps and dance-like maneuvers Ruka was bouncing playfully on the balls of her feet just behind Aurelia's side. "Don't put me between the two of you, I don't want to be any part of these . . . activities," Aurelia quipped. "Aww, come on, help a girl out. I just need a _slight _distraction. After all, look at him, his legs are almost as long as I am tall. I'm at quite the disadvantage here," Ruka pleaded. "If it were you and Kouga I'd help you . . . maybe," she said as she playfully shoved Aurelia into Tomotsu, shouting, "Oh look, a distraction!", and then bolting from the clearing and into the woods.

"Dammit woman!" he shouted as he carefully untangled himself from the mass of arms and legs and stood Aurelia back up. "Are you alright?" he asked, dusting her back off, "Yeah, sorry I got in the way of your playtime, I'm still not used to how fast you guys are yet." Aurelia sighed. "It's ok, this is all just part of the fun for us, the 'thrill of the hunt' if you will." Tomotsu grinned, "The chase is just foreplay, fulfilling that primal need of ours to catch prey."

"But don't you usually eat your prey?" Aurelia remarked. A look of primal mischief spread wide across his face as he bared his fangs and quirked, "Oh, I intend to" before bounding into the woods, determination and excitement seeping from every fiber of his being.

Aurelia giggled at the situation as she pulled a twig from her ponytail, unaware of her hidden onlooker. "Nice to see you playing nice without me." Kouga chuckled, leaning against a nearby tree. Frightened, Aurelia chunked the twig, much like a small spear, at his head. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" she shouted as he casually caught her impromptu missile inches from his face. "You should really keep on your toes out here, you never know who's lying in wait to snatch you away from me" He joked, striding towards Aurelia.

"Why should I worry when I have you always keeping tabs on me from the shadows?" Aurelia responded sarcastically. "I won't always be watching, I _do_ have other things to do besides watch you train you know." Kouga stated, wrapping his arms around her waist. Planting a sweet kiss on his chin, Aurelia spun out of his grasp, and bounded playfully back into the woods. "Well I suppose I'll just have to pick up the pace and run from my pursuers then, now won't I?" she giggled, weaving through the trees ahead of her intended.

Running blindly ahead, Aurelia relished in the crisp bite of the early winter's wind as it whipped her hair behind her. Somehow or another she had managed to lose her shoes, which was of no consequence to her. She enjoyed the way the wintery chill of the soil and roots felt against the bottoms of her bare feet. Kouga had picked up on the game of chase, gaining on her heels enough to where she could almost feel the warmth of his breath on her neck, then falling back into the trees like a shadow, his footfalls barely audible amongst the sound of her own breathlessness as she ran to not even she knew where. Aurelia ran until she cleared the tree line, stopping mere feet from falling into the massive river the waterfall in her new home fed. Carefully dipping her toes into the water, she was delightfully surprised at its warmth. Hearing Kouga's swift approach, she dove into the water, swimming with the current farther downstream, attempting to put as much distance as she could between herself and her pursuing lover.

Kouga came crashing through the trees just in time to catch a glimpse of his intended diving into the white waters of the Daiya River. Fearing she couldn't handle the swift, foaming current, he leapt in after her. Aurelia popped above the water a safe distance away, and continued her leisurely swim down the building rapids. "Aurelia what are you doing? Get out of the river before you drown!" Kouga shouted, frantically trying to catch up. "What? You think I can't out-swim you or something? I feel great, never better even!" she playfully shouted in response, backstroking further downriver through the white water. It was a rush, the feeling of the foamy water flowing around her as she attempted to further their game of chase. Slowing her pace and floating along, she laughed, splashing in Kouga's general direction. "C'mon, try to catch me!" she quirked as she spun around to swim away.

Swimming just a short distance further, she stopped abruptly and yelped. "Something bit me!" she cried out, "Kouga, something just bit me!" "Calm down, I'm coming!" he shouted back, swiftly pawing through the water.

Then she went under. The last thing Kouga saw was her delicate hands frantically grasping at the air as she was yanked underwater by an unknown force. "Aurelia!" Kouga shouted, swimming even faster towards the last place he saw her before he too was suddenly pulled under. Kicking his legs, he furiously tried to escape the grasp of whatever was attempting to abduct him so he could catch up to Aurelia and rescue her. His kicking, however, caused whatever owned the scaly appendage wrapped around his ankle to bite Kouga's thigh several times until he ceased fighting.

His head was swimming. His mind was racing at with thoughts of Aurelia. If whatever toxin this was affected him so heavily, what might it be doing to her? As the darkness consumed his failing vision, his only thoughts were of her.

The last thing she saw was his face as he was swimming towards her. After that she remembered swallowing water and drowning- _"or did I drown?" _She wondered to herself as she regained consciousness, limply vomiting water off to the side. _"Why can't I move? What's going on? Where's Kouga?"_ She frantically thought as she eyed the dank space. A few sparsely placed torches lined the rugged walls of what appeared to be some sort of cavern. Limply bobbing her head sideways, she attempted to take in her surroundings, and spotted Kouga, unconscious and slumped against a far wall. "Kou…ga…" she squeaked, attempting to find her voice. He dipped his head up and onto his shoulder, just as limp and disoriented as she was. "Aurelia…are you… okay?" He asked, eyes barely able to open. "I can't feel my legs…." She sobbed almost drunkenly as her eyes were blurred with tears. "I'll… find a way… to get you out… of here… I promise…" he said, voice shaking yet determined.

"Big words for someone who can't hold his own head up." A cold voice commented from the dark. "Nice to see you're waking up, it'll make eating you a lot more amusing for us." The low, masculine voice added. Aurelia froze as a scaly appendage began creeping up her pant leg. She let out a pathetic squeak of fear as it wrapped around her limp leg, and slid up her inner thigh. "You get your filthy tail off of her!" Kouga growled, eyes beginning to turn red. "Or what, you're going to wiggle at me?" the mystery man scoffed, slithering into view.

He was porcelain in complexion, his white skin like wet marble in the torchlight. "A Naga?" Aurelia accidentally questioned aloud, gaping at his serpentine lower body. "Clever girl." It chuckled in response, almost proud of the way she was eying him as he circled around her. She had heard of them in legends and such, but never believed she'd actually see one in the flesh. His tail was a glistening onyx color, like stark midnight on a new moon. The scales gradually faded in the front, ending just around his hips, and crept up along his spine and over his shoulders to his collarbone. His hair was long and as black as his tail, and draped over his shoulder in a loose tie, showcasing his long, pointed ears, gently curved ivory horns, and slender, fairly handsome face. His eyes were the color of molten gold, and shone brightly in the dark cavern.

"You know, I can't promise anything, but I may take pity on you and end you quickly. Your friend is done for either way, but I might not make you suffer… much." He chuckled darkly, his tail sliding over her cold, wet torso. Her camisole was close fitting enough when dry, but now it was wet, and sticking to her bare skin. Taking advantage of the now mostly transparent garment and Aurelia's cold-hardened nipples, he slowly ran a clawed finger along the edge of her breast, producing another whimper from her, and another warning growl from Kouga.

"I said get the hell away from her!" he roared, fury building in his chest. "Oh hush little wolf cub, you'll have your turn soon enough." A sultry voice chimed from the darkness. A beautiful buxom woman with maroon hair and gold scales slid into view, and semi-circled around Kouga, wrapping her long, slender tail around and between his legs. "Don't you touch me you disgusting piece of shit!" he barked as she held his limp head by the chin and mockingly licked up his cheek. "Mmmmh, we managed quite the pair this time didn't we darling?" she quirked, licking her lips. "Yes beloved, quite the pair indeed." He responded, dragging another nail across Aurelia's now torn shirt and exposed nipple. "GET THE FUCK OFF OF HER!" Kouga bellowed as the male Naga's tail slid within the leg of Aurelia's sweatpants and up her sensitive upper thigh. "Please… stop." She sobbed, trying to turn her face away from what she had no power to stop.

Then his hand twitched.

Kouga regained part of the movement in his right hand as the white knuckled rage burned within him. Trying his hardest, he managed to move his fingers on both hands, and slowly regained feeling in his feet. The female Naga decided to slither over to help torment her mate's new plaything, allowing Kouga the chance to get his limbs moving. As the adrenaline began pumping through his veins, his eyes began to burn red with fury as he slowly and carefully pulled himself up off the ground.

Rolling his neck sideways, he made a loud popping noise that alerted both of the serpentine captors. "You shouldn't be moving!" the male exclaimed as he slithered away from his prize and towards the staggering wolf prince. "I told you not to touch her." Kouga said calmly as he leapt toward the Naga, going for the kill. Midair he summoned the Goraishi and ripped the throat of the male out. Unsatisfied with the simple death, he proceeded to completely decapitate the snake demon, ripping his head from his shoulders with a sickening pop.

Letting out a startling shriek, the female Naga dove towards Kouga, claws and fangs at the ready. He made quick work of her, impaling her with his ancestral weapon, though not before she unloaded every drop of venom she had into his throat. Bleeding and pumped full of thick venom, he staggered towards Aurelia and scooped her up, carrying her bridal style from the underwater cavern they had been imprisoned in. "Aurelia I need you to hold your breath and try your best to hold onto me okay? I'm gonna get you out of here." He pleaded, diving into the tunnel that lead back up above to the river. Kicking with what little strength the adrenaline left in his legs, Kouga made it to the riverbed with a quickly fading Aurelia in his arms. His senses fading fast as well, he let out a loud, sorrowful howl, and hoped to the gods that his pack would hear his cry, as he faded into oblivion.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen, Always On My Mind**

**(Thanks to reviewer Smile-Evily for catching some name swap typos, here is the revised version!)**

"Hey, obaasan, she's awake!" Aurelia heard as she began to open her eyes. Her vision was still blurry, but she recognized that rice ball hairstyle anywhere, even in the dim and still fuzzy light of the healers cave. Reaching up to touch his face, she jokingly asked "Have I died? Is this heaven?" Laughing, he took her hand in his and placed a small cup of water into it, assisting her in taking a drink. "No, sister, this isn't heaven. Not quite yet anyways. It's good to have you back." He said as she raised herself up and leaned into him for support. Rubbing her eyes, her vision began to clear as she took in her surroundings. "Where's Kouga, is he okay?" she asked, looking around.

Spotting a long ball of furs on the mat a few feet from hers, she caught the scent of warm earth and pine. "He hasn't woken up yet." Ginta started, "Those Naga overdid it with the venom. We almost lost him once already, but he's stronger than any of us know. Any other demon would have succumbed to it and died by now, but he's still fighting it, I can only assume because of you. Consider yourself lucky, he's never been this determined to live, not for anyone." Still uncoordinated and wobbly, Aurelia crawled over to Kouga's mat, curling up under the furs against his bare chest and crying into his bandages.

"So she's awake, is she?" The tribe's healer, an elderly wolf demon affectionately called "grandmother" asked. Aurelia turned her tear-streaked face towards the voice, finally getting a glimpse of their caretaker. She was small. Much tinier than any other adult in the tribe. Standing perhaps at 4'9", her short, shapely body was topped with a quite possibly longer than her braid of snowcapped coffee colored hair. Her face was soft, with wrinkles around her pale green eyes and mouth that look like she had done much smiling in her time. Aurelia hoped she could take that as a good sign. "You've been out for the last two days dear, you're hungry I'm sure." She said, handing her a carved wooden bowl of warm stew.

Sitting upright, Aurelia accepted the food gladly, and questioned the sagely healer. "What do you think will happen to him?" she asked, halfway not wanting to know the answer as she began downing the stew. "Ginta, go get me another bowl, she's making me hungry." She spouted at Ginta, who sighed before complying. "He should be okay. I could tell when Ginta and Hakkaku brought you two in that it was Naga venom. You were both deathly pale, and looked like your veins were running black with ink. You were lucky, child. If you'd been bitten more than once it would have most likely killed you. Kouga is strong, but he is also very hardheaded. Provoking more than a few bites was foolish of him but I suppose he had his reasons. He still has a ways to go, especially since one bite in particular still has not been extracted." Lifting the blanket of pelts, Aurelia could see the inky black web of veins branching out from a pair of puncture marks on his inner thigh.

"I love the boy, I truly do, but he is like a grandson to me, and that is much closer to some things than I'd ever want to be. Perhaps _you_ could assist me with that." She chimed, eyeing Aurelia deviously. Aurelia was startled by the request, but was determined to help him. "Anything to save him." She said, voice thick with determination.

The elderly wolf only laughed. "I was only joking child, that single bite won't kill him. He'll be fine in a few days once it passes through his system. Nothing to worry about dear. You should go get some sleep in your own bed instead of fretting over him in here." "Not without him." She opposed flatly. The old woman shook her head and sighed. "If you're going to be difficult about it I suppose I have no real choice but to move him too then. Ginta!" she called out into the cavernous hallway. "Coming!" she heard echo in response. Stumbling through the woven mat in the entryway with two more bowls of stew, Ginta caught his breath and handed the bowls to the women. "Yes baasan?" he asked. "I need you to help carry Kouga back to his den, Miss Aurelia has decided to monitor him from this point on for me." Groaning, Ginta huffed as he hauled the dead weight of his Alpha over his shoulder, mildly struggling with his brother in arms' limp body. Luckily their destination was a short distance down the corridor from the healer's chamber.

As Aurelia held the woven door aside, Ginta walked through and carefully set Kouga down on his pile of furs. "He looks so fragile like this, like any sudden movement might break him…" Ginta sullenly noted. "Take good care of him for me would ya? That meathead means a lot to us." He added as he wrapped an arm around Aurelia's shoulder and hugged her before leaving. "Don't worry, I will." She whispered as he walked through the doorway.

Aurelia carefully draped a fur pelt blanket over her sleeping lover, watching carefully to avoid the tender area on his discolored thigh. Maybe she could speed his recovery along by pulling out the venom, or maybe it was too far spread to help. Either way, she was determined to do something. Pulling just enough of the blanket back to view his wounds, Aurelia gently felt the swollen area around the inky black puncture wounds in his leg that had yet to heal over. Leaning over the side of the bed, Aurelia dug through one of her duffle bags that she still hadn't unpacked, and pulled out a fresh bottle of Patrón Silver she purchased before their return, uncorked it, filled her mouth, swished it, swallowed most of it, then went to work pulling the venom from his thigh.

The tequila did wonders masking the foul taste of the venom in her mouth, along with cleaning the wound. Kneading the area around the bite to pull the venom towards the center of the wound, Aurelia pulled as much of the thick, inky substance as she could, spat it into her empty bowl, and took another swig of tequila. Just as she was almost finished with the second bout of venom, Ginta stepped into the room, utterly confused at what he was seeing. "I'll just come back another time, I didn't mean to interrupt!" he awkwardly blurted as he tried to look away from the pair in the bed.

Aurelia picked her face up, chin lightly coated it black liquid, and spat once again into the bowl. "I'm extracting venom Ginta, I wouldn't do that with him unconscious." She said, wiping her face, and taking one last swig of liquor. Ducking her face back down onto his leg, she sucked the last bit of venom she could before finally tasting blood in her mouth.

Spitting the last bit of the thick venom out, she took a rag from her duffle bag, poured some alcohol onto it, and rubbed his wound clean. "Grab me some clean bandages would you?" she asked, gently wiping his inner thigh clean. "That's what I came in here for anyways. Obaasan asked me to bring you these so you could rewrap his leg later." He responded, walking over to the bed where his Alpha still lay lifeless. The inky black web of veins were hardly visible anymore under the tan skin of his leg. "Wow, nice job there Aurelia. He should be up and around in no time." He chimed, much happier now that Kouga at least looked better. Aurelia smiled as the color slowly began returning to his skin. Wrapping his leg to keep the wound covered, she placed the blanket carefully over Kouga before stretching and sprawling out over the bed, still exhausted from her own recovery. "I'll just leave you two alone now. Thank you Aurelia, I knew he'd finally settle down someday, but I'm glad it's with you." He said as he leaned down, lightly kissing her on the forehead in thanks before leaving the room.

Curling up alongside Kouga, Aurelia nuzzled into his neck and inhaled the warmth that was his scent. "You know," she whispered, "I know you probably can't hear me but I'm really considering staying with you. You make me feel so alive; so grounded. I love you Kouga. I really do. I hope you wake up soon so I can tell you that."

As she faded into sleep, in the faintest of whispers, he replied, "I love you too."

Waking up the next morning to an empty bed, Aurelia panicked. Frantically searching the darkness of the room, she almost overlooked the dark mess of hair sticking out of the indoor spring, backed against a rock. "You're awake. I was starting to think you were gonna sleep all day." Kouga teased as his closed eyes became visible. "Not like I was up most of the night trying to take care of you or anything." She shot back with a smirk. "How're you feeling anyways? You were in pretty bad shape." "Sweetheart, it'll take a lot more than some punk ass snake to take me down." He responded smugly as he folded his arms behind his head.

"I'm glad you're okay. You really scared me for a while there, I thought I was going to lose you." Aurelia said calmly as she forced herself to smile. "Don't worry princess, I ain't goin anywhere anytime soon." He assured with a pearly grin. Tilting his head towards the water, he silently beckoned her to his side; an invitation she immediately accepted. Stripping herself of her nightgown, she pulled her hair into a quick, messy bun atop her head, and slid into the water beside him.

Leaning her head against his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around her, and kissed the top of her head. "So," he started, "I know a lot has happened in the last couple of days, and I know we were kind of unconscious for most of it, but have you thought any more about my offer?" Aurelia pondered for a moment, her silence unnerving Kouga all the more. "I have, and I've been thinking that even though this is all happening so fast, I've never felt this sure about anything in my life. I'm happy with you, despite the danger of being here, and would actually really like to stay. I feel like this is where I really belong. I mean, if you'll still have me of course." She said with a nervous smile. Kouga pulled her into a crushing embrace, nuzzling his face into the messy bun of hair atop her head. "I will always want you by my side."

Burying her face into the warmth of his chest, Aurelia let out a sigh of relief. Stroking her hair, Kouga spoke, "I want to do this right, I need to meet your family and know that I'm worthy of you in their eyes. It's only right." Nervously, Aurelia pushed herself away from him, and settled at the edge of the pool, uneasy about the subject of her estranged family. "I honestly don't know them at all, but if you're that determined, I have no real reason to stop you. She sighed as she contemplated their eventual journey. "When my grandmother passed, in the letter she left behind for me, she left instructions for finding that side of my family; I just never really tried to meet them. I mean, they never had anything to do with me before, why would they now?" and as she lowered herself halfway up her face to mull in the hot water, her exasperated sigh sent bubbles to the surface, splashing her messy platinum bangs as they popped.

Before Kouga could attempt to comfort her, however, none other than Ginta and Hakkaku would decide to pop in to check on their brother in arms and his prospective mate. "Good to see you up and lively boss!" Hakkaku gleamed, "Yeah Kouga, you looked like hell last night, Aurelia really _sucked_ the death out of you didn't she?" Ginta teased. "Shut your traps you two, I'm doing just fine. It'll take a lot more than a couple snakebites to kill me and you know it." Kouga snapped. Before he could dismiss the two mischievous males, Ruka and Tomotsu had entered to check on their supposedly recovered alpha. Shortly after, Biruda, Yotogi, and Bengosha all entered the spacious den, each clamoring in joy over their lord's survival.

All of the unwanted eyes, however, had Aurelia ducking under the water and holding her breath, trying her hardest not to be seen naked by any of the encroaching demons. As Aurelia swam as quickly as she could to the other end of the large pool, none of the others, Kouga included, acknowledged her absence. Attempting to evade the searching eyes, she silently crept behind large bath stones back toward the bed she shared, and redressed herself in a crisp white button up with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and a faded pair of dark navy high-waisted skinny jeans. After hunting for her spare white canvas slip-ons, she packed a small overnight bag, and made her way towards the door of their den. "Where are you going?" Kouga asked as he nonchalantly rose from the water, stark naked before the most elite of his followers, and wrapped one of Aurelia's towels around his waist. How he could be so comfortable being seen naked by all those people was beyond her.

"If you want to meet my family, I need to get back to Tokyo and get some papers drawn for you. People are registered in my time so everyone knows who you are and where you belong. My friend Mamoru used to work in the local government office and can help me get you put in the system so we can travel. I can't exactly buy plane tickets for an illegal alien." Huffing, Kouga walked towards his individual bag on the floor and pulled a black v neck shirt, a faded pair of close fitting boot cut jeans, a pair of boxer briefs, socks, and the boots Aurelia had purchased for him, and began dressing himself, still very much within the eyesight of everyone in the den. "Well then wait up for me, I'm going with you." He said firmly as he pulled the shirt over his head.

"Then I suppose I'll have to pack a bag for you too then." Aurelia added as she walked over and prepped an overnight bag for him. "We'll keep an eye on things here for ya boss." Hakkaku said, as Ginta coolly ran his hand through his hair and added "Yeah Kouga, you go get your stuff under control, it's about time you settled down, so we'll make sure the pack is kept in line while you're working on that. You're due for a couple cubs of your own by now anyhow." "Shut up you two!" Kouga grumbled as his face reddened at their teasing.

Tossing his bag over his shoulder, Kouga took Aurelia by the hand and led her towards the much less suffocating open air of daybreak. As they approached the main den, Kouga announced their departure to the members of the tribe present, knelt down for Aurelia, then shot off like a bullet into the wilderness, determined to reach the shrine within the hour, and put as much distance between his meddling pack mates and them as he could.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen, The Road Less Traveled**

As they arrived at the Bone Eater's Well, Kouga let Aurelia down before the two slid from the ledge hand in hand. Watching the blue light of the portal between times faded, they found themselves once again in Aurelia's time. Hopping out first, Kouga extended his hand to Aurelia, who instead opted to climb out on her own. "Well fine then, don't let me help you." He joked sarcastically as she leapt over the lip of the well. "If I can manage it myself why should I ask for help? If I really need help, I'll ask. Thank you for the offer though." She smirked as she stroked his cheek and made her way to her covered vehicle. Turning on her cell phone, she proceeded to call Mamoru and set up a meeting with him at the flat he and Izumi shared downtown.

"Are you sure you're okay with doing this for me? You could get in a lot of trouble." Aurelia asked over the phone. "Yeah, it's no big deal, I mean it's not like I got FIRED for hacking the system. They won't suspect any tampering from me just because of a spotty attendance record. Trust me, they have NO idea what lovely gold nugget of ability they let go of. I've got all the required stuff for his papers here, just need the info and photos to fill them in. Honestly though…" he sighed, "they really should pay more attention to where their card printers are… Izumi could have stolen this stuff without getting caught, even with as clumsy as she is." Aurelia chuckled, "Alright, we'll be there soon." She replied. Hanging up the phone, she turned the key, starting the mechanical wheeled beast known as "_Benny_" and pulled out of the shrine property.

"So what's this about stealing stuff? Is Mamoru a criminal?" Kouga inquired as they made their way into downtown Tokyo. "Eh, of sorts. He was a technologies major in high school and college, with his main focus being security systems. He's good at keeping people out of other people's stuff. But the other side of that is his knowledge of how to get INTO people's stuff. He still knows all the ways to get into the registration and passport databases, so he can pull up and print anything we need. He's made a lovely little side business for himself making forgeries." Kouga simply nodded his head, pretending to know what she was talking about, and kept his eyes on the streets of the bustling city.

Rolling his window down, he felt the wind whip his bangs as the crisp breeze licked his nose and cheeks. Inhaling deeply, he caught the faint mixtures of different demonic auras lingering on the breeze. Seeing Kouga's face suddenly change from serene to alert, Aurelia drove a bit quicker, eager to get to their destination. "What is it?" she asked as they made the turn into the apartment complex parking garage. "You don't sense that? Demonic aura floating all in the air. I don't know how I didn't pick up on it before, but Tokyo smells like it's crawling with Youkai, or at least Hanyou's." Aurelia, upon opening the door of the car, took a deep breath. "Now that you mention it, the air does smell a bit odd. I mean now that I've been around more Youkai, I can kind of pick it out, but then again my nose isn't quite as sharp as yours."

Kouga let out a low grumble as he took Aurelia by the waist and made for the stairs. "Let's get inside, I don't like the smell of this." Pointing out the elevator, Aurelia guided Kouga as they pushed the button for one of the uppermost floors of the building.

Walking the hallway, the scent of Youkai was lightly seeping out of every doorway. Kouga held Aurelia even closer as they made their way to the end of the hall, to the flat marked by the numbers 1010. In nothing more than a pair of loose pajama bottoms, Mamoru answered the door, hair wild and sleep tossed, a sleepy expression on his face. "Sorry, used to being up at night for work, not much of a daytime person." He chuckled, letting out a long yawn as he stretched upwards, the well-built muscles of his arms and torso rippling as he stretched. Aurelia giggled as Izumi, still in her nightgown and robe padded out of the main bedroom of the flat. She looked a bit worse for wear, but Kouga could pick up the lingering scent of sex from the two of them. He simply smiled as he greeted her.

"So, let's get started." Mamoru said half-awake as he poured himself and Izumi cups of coffee. "Alright, first things first, I need to know what all you need me to put together." Aurelia pulled a piece of paper out of her purse, with a list of all the documents needed. "Ok, so we need birth certificate, resident registration, ID, driver's license, passport, and social insurance card. Do you even know HOW to drive Kouga?" he asked. "No, but Aurelia said she'd teach me everything I need to know. I won't be using it until I know how, so it isn't fully necessary at the moment." Shrugging, Mamoru pulled up the necessary paperwork on his computer. "Eh, might as well get it done now so you don't have to worry about it later. Ok so first off, what's your new name going to be?" he asked, staring at the couple. "Well we're keeping his first name for sure…" Aurelia said nervously. "What about Kouga Matsukaze? First and last name, and it fits when translated to English." She shrugged nervously. "Hmm… I like it." Kouga agreed, stroking his chin in thought.

"Alright, how about a birthday? What time of year were you born, so we can get a good starting point?" "The spring, just before the cherry blossoms began blooming." He answered. "He feels like an Aries to me. Try like the 15th of April; that should work for him." Izumi added. "Sounds good to me. Nice call Izumi." Aurelia said happily as she leaned into Kouga. "What's an Aries?" he asked, thoroughly confused. "Nothing honey, I'll explain later."

"Well if I'm an Aries, what are you?" He huffed childishly. "That's a bit complicated honey. If I go by most calendars, I'm on the edge between an Aquarius and Pisces. Whimsical and spontaneous, artsy yet adventurous, a lovely ball of sweet and spice if you will." She finished. "Sounds about right." He shrugged as he looked back to Mamoru. "Address?" he inquired. "For now we'll just use the Higurashi's address for his, unless we get a place on this side together."

"Birth year?"

Aurelia sat stumped for a moment, trying to figure out how old Kouga appeared. "Well he looks about twenty six, so…." She counted back on her fingers, a whimsical expression on her face as she gazed absentmindedly at the floor. "1988 sound about right?" She asked after a moment. "Ooh year of the dragon, very nice…" Izumi remarked. "Alright, I've got all the necessary stuff put in, I just need photo's now for the passport and ID/ license." Mamoru stated as he motioned towards the white paper backdrop hanging on the wall.

Walking Kouga into place, Aurelia fidgeted with his hair, pulling the messy braids of hair over his shoulders to cover his ears. "Just look at this little glass lens, smile if you want, and try not to blink when it flashes. Ready?" and with a nod, his photo was taken, and his driver's license began printing.

"Alright, you can't smile for this one. Aurelia, take one of Izumi's face oil wipes and make sure he's good, can't have any shine on his face or hair in his eyes; passports are fickle bitches. Alright, three, two, and one… Marvelous, you're all done for now. I'll make sure his 'insurance' is just marked under yours, just keep out of trouble and none will be the wiser ok? I'll get him put in all the necessary systems within the hour." Aurelia lit up immediately, much more relaxed now that she could openly travel with Kouga. "Ok so how much do I owe you?" She asked, reaching into her wallet. "This one's on the house, just keep my name out of it if you get caught, okay?" Hugging Mamoru tight, she left a gracious tip of 60,000 yen (about $500) for his troubles, knowing how much he hates working in the daytime, and how much trouble he'd be in if caught.

"Hey Mamoru" Kouga inquired, "Hmm?" he responded. "Tanuki, right? And kitsune?" he inquired, pointing at Mamoru, then Izumi. The pair looked at each other stunned for a moment, then began laughing. "Damn, I was wondering when you'd sniff us out with that wolf's nose of yours." Kouga chuckled, "My senses are adjusting. Too many smells going on at the club for me to pick you two out, but I can smell you clear as day here." Jaw on the floor, Aurelia had no idea how to respond to finding out two of her closest friends were hanyou. "Oh hush, like it's that big of a shock. We both know you're youkai too, and I know what kind!" Izumi blurted excitedly. "What kind do you think she is?" Kouga inquired. "Ookami of course! It only makes total sense why you're so hung up on her. That, and I may have had an interesting conversation with her grandmother before she passed…"

"WHAT." Aurelia blurted, completely floored. "WHEN?" She shrieked, horrified that her best friend failed to share this information with her. "Remember when we shared that apartment a couple streets over and you got reeeeally sick? I called her to ask what to do about it, because from what I could gather, your dad is where your demon blood came from, so obviously grams knew somethin. That tea I made you that tasted like ass? Old family recipe. She swore me to secrecy until you were ready Aurelia, my hands were tied." She rushed to say. Slumping down onto the floor, Aurelia attempted to process the newfound information. "Why didn't they just tell me…? Life could have made so much more sense if they'd have just told me we were different…" Sighing as she sat cross-legged on the floor next to her, Izumi wrapped a supportive arm around her friend. "She was trying to protect you. Otherwise she'd have told you everything. Mamoru, bring it here." She silently ordered as he brought a large, opened envelope addressed to Izumi with a note and a smaller, still sealed envelope inside with Aurelia's name written on it in frail, scrabbly cursive. Reading the note made to Izumi first, she began to understand the severity of the situation.

_Izumi,_

_For the love you bear my granddaughter, please, do not tell her what she is, what WE are, or anything about our world. Not until she is truly ready. She has been through enough, though it seems with my life fading by the day, her hardships are far from over. Save this letter, and the one enclosed within, for when she is prepared to accept who she really is. I beg of you, do this one small favor for me, a dying woman, so that my dearest and only granddaughter Aurelia may be spared this suffering as long as she can._

_Respectfully,_

_Isabel._

With shaky hands, Aurelia reluctantly unfolded the lip of the interior envelope, and pulled out the peppermint scented paper within. Carefully looking over the last words her grandmother intended for her, she wiped her face with the sleeve of her button-up, trying hard to swallow the burning in her throat that was building with each word she read.

_My Dearest Aurelia,_

_You've been through so much in your short life, I can't bear having to put you through this as well. By the time you read this I'll be long gone, but rest easy knowing I'll always watch over you. I know you've always wondered why your father's family has never attempted to contact you, and though it feels as if you don't matter, you do. More than you could possibly fathom._

_Your grandfather, rest his spirit, died long before you were ever born, when your father was still a boy. Tahmoh fell through the ice while fishing with your father, and if not for his quick thinking, you would have never been born. He was, until the birth of your father, the last of his line, the great shaman of the Tanana tribe. Our kind had intermingled with theirs for generations, not including the long line of only children his family had produced._

_Knowing what would be in store for your father had we stayed, I stole him away late in the night, running from the life they would force upon him. Tahmoh and I spoke in secret of running away together, and that knowledge reaching the wrong ears is why he is no longer with us today. Aurelia, you are the only heir of the two noblest of lines, the Northern Wolves and the Tanana shamans. If you are determined to see for yourself, you know where to go, but please, do not go alone, for it would surely be the end of you. Know that I will love you always, and that we are always watching over you._

_Nana_

Unable to contain the violent sobbing she had been suppressing in her throat, Aurelia cried. She cried for the loss of her grandmother, her father, and the grandfather she never knew. Clutching the small pages of wintery stationary against her chest, she cried so hard her breathing hitched, her lungs unable to receive air through her constricted, burning windpipe. Kouga slumped down onto the cold tile next to her, and held her tight, stroking her hair and rubbing small circles along her back as he attempted to calm her down.

As her breathing slowly calmed and her sniffles became scarce, Aurelia wiped her eyes with her sleeve once more, and placed her forehead against Kouga's shoulder, her gratitude for his effort made. Kouga slowly stood up, pulling the sullen girl to her feet with him. "Thank you." She whispered as she felt the blood rushing back to her legs. "Izumi," she started as the nervous kitsune acknowledged her. "Thank you. For everything." She calmly voiced, hugged her friend closely. "You too Mamoru, thank you." "Anytime kid. Your stuff is in by the way, he's all clear to travel now." He gladly pointed to his computer screen, which was now covered in confirmation notices.

Mamoru handed the newly printed cards and paperwork to Kouga, the different textured pages and plastic odd feeling against his fingertips. "C'mon Aurelia, let's get back to the shrine, you could do with a little down time." He suggested, hugging Aurelia tight before slowly making his way for the door, waiting patiently in the doorway for her to say her goodbyes. "It seems I have a last second trip to plan and a wardrobe to purchase." She chuckled halfheartedly as she hugged her friends goodbye. "Be careful Aria, You'd better make it back in one piece or I'll find a way to raise the dead and kill you myself." Izumi joked. "You'll be fine, kid. Not just anyone has a pure-blooded wolf youkai on their side." He reassured, patting her on the back. "I'll let you guys know when I get back and that I'm ok." Aurelia commented as she stepped out the door.

Walking back down the narrow hallway, the partially cracked open doors exposed the faces of curious _hanyou_ neighbors. "Kouga let's get out of here, I don't like the way these people are looking at us." She quietly whispered in his ear. "They aren't looking at you darlin', they're all eyeballin' me." He grumbled in return, a little too loudly for Aurelia's comfort. "Guess pureblooded youkai are pretty rare nowadays." He mumbled as his grip around Aurelia's waist tightened. Feeling a tug on the back of her shirt, Aurelia turned around, only to find a little girl with big brown eyes and soft brown mouse ears atop her head looking up at her. "Miss Lady? My momma says it isn't safe to walk around with our ears and stuff showing. Just thought you'd want to know." She softly warned before being pulled back into her apartment by what looked like her nervous older brother. "Sorry, don't mind her, my apologies ma'am." He rushed to say as he hurried her through the door.

Continuing to the elevator, Kouga could hear the faintest of whisperings from the apartments. "Did she say Kouga? Like the shikon jewel hunter Kouga you told us stories about when we were little?" the tiny voices questioned. "Aye," an older voice followed, "I'd know the fierceness in those blue eyes anywhere. It's him alright. Be proud, children, you just caught a glimpse at one of the great heroes of our kind." Smiling as the entered the elevator, he turned and saw what looked to be the grown face of the wolf cub Shinta, a child he'd helped save late in the hunt for the shikon jewel. As the elevator door closed, he saw the man bow graciously, smiling at his past savior, and in return, Kouga nodded in pride at the man that child became.

"Ok so we need to get you and me some winter clothes, and last minute plane tickets. I think we can do that pretty quickly don't you?" Aurelia quipped as she began furiously checking for flights to Alaska on her smartphone. "Okay, there's a flight today at 4:40pm from here to Fairbanks with a layover in Seattle. Its only noon, so I think we have some time for shopping, at least with enough to get us there. Luckily there aren't many people flying to Seattle from Tokyo so there's plenty of spots left. Aaaaaand done. Two first class tickets to Fairbanks via Seattle taken care of. Man I forget how awesome it is to have money on hand sometimes." She muttered to herself as they made their way back across the parking garage to her car. "Okay, now to set up a day stay at a hotel since it'll be an 11 hour layover…" she mumbled as she sifted through hotel rooms on the tiny screen. "…now to just make it a normal one since we'll just be there for the day... and done!" she happily chirped as she unlocked the driver side door. "Alright, all that's left is once we get there and our return trip, but that can wait since I bought round trip tickets. Onwards to the shopping mall!" she excitedly yipped as she pulled out of the parking garage and into the busy streets of the city.

_**(For reference, Matsukaze is translated to "wind blowing through pine trees", and Aurelia's last name, Tukoni, is the Tanana word for "wolf")**_


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen, Straight On Til Morning**

_**(A.N. Peter Pan and Death Note don't belong to me any more than the InuYasha series does!)**_

"Aurelia, you really seemed to flip moods quickly there," Kouga commented as they drove through Tokyo, "are you sure you're okay?" He questioned, carefully eyeing the smile his intended was trying to hide behind. "Yes and no, in a way. I mean, planning this trip is taking my mind off of part of it, but keeps me thinking about it at the same time. I know that doesn't make sense, but having something else, like buying you winter clothes, gives me something else to keep busy with."

Kouga continued to listen, his eyes and ears trained on her eyes. "I also feel a bit better knowing that _that_ part of my family simply doesn't know I exist, rather than just dismissing me as unworthy of their attention. Though I do worry about what would be so bad about them knowing about me or where my dad was for my grandmother to keep us hidden like she did." She finished, worrying at her lower lip as she anxiously pondered the possibilities. "Either way, we're here, so let's just take this one step at a time. First things first, winter coat and carry-on luggage." She chimed, putting the car in park and sliding out of the driver's seat before Kouga could press further.

Checking the forecast for the Denali National Park area, their final destination, Aurelia sighed in relief. "Okay, so not cold enough for a full out snow suit, not heavy winds or snow or anything like that, so it's looking like all you'll need is some flannel lined jeans, light winter boots, a decent sweater, and a light parka." Kouga's eyebrow lifted curiously at the strange new garment Aurelia had mentioned. "What's a _par-kah_? It sounds like some kind of small furry seal-like creature." Giggling as she took his hand, Aurelia led him towards a seasonal boutique that was displaying winter clothes. "A parka is just a thicker insulated jacket with a fur-lined hood; you know, to keep the cold away from your face." "So it IS like a furry creature then!" he chuckled, proud of his intuitive guess. "Sure, we'll go with that." She laughed as she sifted through the men's jeans.

Sticking to the earthy tones he was so used to, they chose for him a chocolate colored parka with beige fur lining, a cream colored V-neck sweater covered in tiny brown and blue speckles, and a pair of faded gray boot cut jeans with bright blue flannel lining. His boots were simple and close-fitting; a warm, dark chocolate color with cream laces that fit high on his ankle. Aurelia chose for herself a white parka with chocolate brown fur lining, a white chunky knit, close fitting very wide necked and almost too-long sleeved sweater, cream skinny jeans with brown flannel lining, and a pair of beige, knee high, faux sheepskin lace up boots. Grabbing a large rolling luggage set, they completed their transaction and left. Leaving the mall with just enough time to spare, they wandered out into the parking lot and loaded up their clothes and overnight bags into their new suitcases, and made their way towards the airport.

The security check was interesting, Kouga having to stand as someone waved over him with a strange, whining paddle not sitting well with him. What was even more fun was having him watch as Aurelia had to either reveal or remove each piece of body jewelry that set off the sensors. It took everything he had not to tear into the person that was sent to pat her down for hidden weapons, until Aurelia gave him a reassuring look that it was all perfectly normal. Finally through security and check in, they waited outside of their terminal, Aurelia resting on Kouga's shoulder as they waited to be boarded. Just as she would finally doze off, however, their flight was called.

Planting a chaste kiss on the crown of her head, Kouga smiled as he gently roused her from her unfortunately short nap. "That's us sweetheart, time to go." He whispered sweetly as he smoothed her hair down and gathered their bags. "Alright hun, I dunno where to go from here, so wake up so we can get goin." Aurelia rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching her tired limbs like a cat. "Fine, but I'm going back to sleep when we get on the plane." She grumbled, dragging her rolling suitcase behind her. Luckily they wouldn't have to worry about their bags this time around, her travel sized bottles of soaps and such allowing them to take their belongings as carry-on. Following behind her, Kouga watched as they walked to the front portion of the line, boarding first. "First class," Aurelia groggily mused as they made their way to their seats. Loading their bags in the overhead compartment, Kouga was graciously given the window seat.

"Try not to panic okay? We're gonna be flying over the ocean here shortly." She commented, limply bobbing her head back as she buckled her safety belt. A woman in a strange uniform walked out to the front of their aisle and as everyone was seated, began giving their standard instructions. Buckling his safety belt anxiously as the strangely lit box on the roof commanded, he sat back in his seat, and waited for takeoff. When the plane began to move, Kouga became uneasy. Looking over at Aurelia and how peaceful she was appeared, he figured maybe he too should just relax. "First time flying?" a flight attendant questioned as she eyed the nervous man in the seat. "Yeah, not really sure if I like it just yet." He quipped back, fussing with the reclining mechanism in his seat. Reaching over Aurelia, she turned the knob on the side of the chair, helping him recline as she had. "She's quite lovely, are you flying together?" she idly questioned as she passed him a warm towel to place behind his neck. "Yeah, I'm meeting her family." He responded, wondering where the questions were leading. "That's wonderful, I hope you enjoy your flight. Just hit the button if you need assistance or get my attention. My name is Seiko." And with that, she was gone. Leaning back in his seat, he reached out for Aurelia's hand, and fell into an uneasy sleep.

_ "__Aurelia!" he shouted as what was a gentle snowfall quickly escalated into a savage blizzard around him. "AURELIA!" she shouted louder, unable to see past the flurry of ice and snow quickly blanketing the nearby trees and grass. Focusing ahead of him, he could smell her, the scent of sweet mint and the iron tinge of freshly shed blood burning his senses as his feelings of panic amplified._

_A faint silhouette formed across the once grassy plain before him, and he began to run harder, his breathing labored as he clutched the bleeding gash in his side. As he came closer, he could see the shape of the being much clearer. Her hair flew about in wild directions under the wolf skin pelt draped over her, her bare feet converting the ground on which they walked into patches of thick, crackling frost. It was her; yet it wasn't the warm and loving arctic green eyes of the woman he had come to love that his eyes met, but fiery white sclera as bright and lethal as condensed lightning._

Feeling Kouga jostling in his sleep next to her, Aurelia awoke, lightly shaking his shoulder to break whatever nightmare was holding his mind hostage. Waking sharply, he wiped the stream of saliva that trailed from the corner of his mouth. Aurelia giggled, kissing his shoulder before returning to her own peaceful slumber. Watching as Aurelia's breathing slowed, his mind raced with the thought of the being in his nightmare. Recalling the dream, he pictured the figure that appeared so like her. All except for those eyes. No iris, no pupil, just fiery white sclera crackling with energy. Thinking of the dream being's face filled him with dread. The seemingly empty determination in her expression that never faltered even as he tried to wrap his arms around her freezing cold body to stop her, her exposed arms and blood sodden bare legs seemingly immune to the feel of the freezing wind. Shivering as he recalled the way her freezing skin almost _burned_ him, he attempted to clear his mind and return to his nap. There were still quite a few hours to go before they'd make landing in Seattle.

_ "__Oh c'mon Nick, we were only trying to __**drown**__ her." Aurelia said as she casually flipped her hair. Lounging atop her rock in the lagoon, she laughed inwardly at Kairi, who was now sopping wet and furious. Izumi curled up on the stone below hers, casually combing her hair with her fingers, wrapping it in a strand of seaweed to hold it back. Why she was dreaming about Nick she didn't know, but soaking Kairi like Wendy in Peter Pan made it worth the confusion._

Smiling in her sleep, Aurelia rolled towards Kouga in her reclined seat, reaching out for him until her empty hand felt the warmth of his arm, then settled back into her slumber. Several hours later, after finally deciding he could force himself to sleep no longer, Kouga opted to choose from some of the in-flight entertainment instead, some odd anime suspense thriller series that made no sense to him. "Oh c'mon how does _nobody_ know Light's the killer?" he grumbled to as he snacked on a bag of toasted peanuts. "I know right?" another equally befuddled passenger responded from a few seats over.

During the playing, mid-flight meals were served, a brightly colored bento box like Kagome used to pack in her youth. Reading the packages instructions on the chopsticks, Kouga awkwardly ate his food as he continued to grumble at the lack of observance in the shows characters. "Really? Now you're _living_ with him and you **_still_** can't prove he's the killer?" He griped, his mouth full of sticky rice.

"Calm down Kouga, He'll get around to it." Aurelia sighed as she lazily popped a salmon roll into her mouth, still half asleep. "Maybe 4 melatonin was too much…" she mused as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Ma'am, how long until we reach Seattle?" she questioned a passing flight attendant. "Let's see…we've been in the air around 7 hours now, so two or three more hours give or take. We'll be arriving at the Seattle airport at 8:40-ish their time." She cheerily answered "Thank you" Aurelia replied as she continued her lethargic assault on her food. Now Kouga had restricted his commentary to silent, frustrated hand gestures and grunting behind clenched teeth. "You'll see sweetheart, they'll get him. Trust me they _all_ know it's him, they just can't prove it yet. They have to catch him in the act for it to count." She reassured as he pinched the bridge of his nose and continued to watch. "I would have ripped his throat out to stop him long before this." He commented. "But what if he had Misa continue his work after his capture, then they'd look stupid like they caught the wrong guy and he'd be free to keep killing. Trust me, Light's smart enough to think about stuff like that."

Ten long minutes later, Aurelia finished her food and decided that the four melatonin she had taken hadn't quite run their course, so she went back to sleep. Kouga continued to watch as much of the remainder of the series that he could for the next few hours until their landing was announced, and the playing was brought to an end. Jostling Aurelia from her nap, he planted an eager kiss on her lips and excitedly awaited the signal to exit. Leaving the terminal, Aurelia hit up the nearest book shop she could and purchased a set of discs and a handheld cd player for Kouga. "Here, so you can understand at least some of the conversations here." She commented, handing the set to him. "Speaking and Understanding English for Beginners" the title of the box set read in kanji. "What's English?" he questioned, sniffing the curious looking box, "It's the spoken language here; if you wanna be able to understand anything going on I suggest you listen to these while we wait for our layover flight. Our hotel shouldn't be too far from here, so let's get going. It's gonna be a long eleven hour wait if we stay here, our next flight won't be leaving 'til 7:30 tonight, so I'm going to fart around on my laptop once we get to the room, I still need to set us up for once we arrive." She ranted, following the directions on her phone that lead to the hotel a block away.

Upon checking in, Kouga began listening to his new language lesson discs and recited along as Aurelia set them up for their arrival in Fairbanks. After finishing their travel plans, she checked something called an _e-mail_ and played around on some _book of faces_ before taking a longer than expected nap. How she could still be tired was beyond him. Five hours in, Aurelia woke up and ordered pizza for delivery with a couple of two liters so they could review the tapes he had been working on non-stop since their leaving the airport. Aurelia was surprised at how quickly he caught on to speaking English, having little to no accent when he spoke.

Scratch that, he _did_ have **_some_** accent, but it wasn't remnants of his native Japanese. The voice on the recordings had a _slight_ southern drawl, so he naturally assumed this was how he was supposed to speak it, and Aurelia, not wanting to challenge it and make it more confusing for him, just let him keep thinking that. It was cute, she had to admit; odd, but cute. All he needed was a pair of wranglers, some cowboy boots, a pearl snap shirt, a dirty baseball cap, and a haircut, and he might could pass for anyone from her hometown. "Okay, just to keep you sharp with what you've learned," Aurelia started in Japanese, "From this point on until we get back to Japan, you will only speak English; that is unless you don't know the word for something. Then I will translate it, and you will continue. Understood?" she finished, in English. Taking a deep breath, he confidently replied, "Understood."

They spent the remaining six hours of their wait watching the remainder of the Death Note series with English dubbing and Japanese subtitles. An hour of that time during the marathon was spent messing around with each other in bed to break up the monotony of the evening. As the time neared seven o'clock, half an hour before their layover was ready, they gathered their things up, checked out of the hotel room, and walked back to the airport to go back through security once more. Thinking ahead, Aurelia placed her piercings in her carry on containers, so the metal detectors went smoother than before. Boarding their much quicker flight to Fairbanks, they both were jittery with anxious anticipation at what was to come.


End file.
